


The Penitent Sparrow

by Baymaksu



Category: Big Hero 6 (2014), Big Hero 6: The Series (Cartoon)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Forgiveness, Friendship, Gen, Personal Growth, Rescue Missions, Superheroes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-07-07
Packaged: 2020-05-18 19:17:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 20
Words: 82,765
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19340920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Baymaksu/pseuds/Baymaksu
Summary: After the Countdown to Catastrophe was averted, Abigail Callaghan is drawn back to San Fransokyo. Finally meeting her rescuer, Abigail and Hiro embark on a special project. Along the way, a friendship grows and healing truly begins.





	1. The Silent Sparrow Speaks

**Author's Note:**

> Author's Note: This is my first fanfiction ever, honestly never thought I would be one to write one but I am a big fan of Big Hero 6 and the series. This is set past the conclusion of Season 1's "Countdown to Catastrophe" and just a little into the next season.
> 
> It's something I created to fill a gap in the story I have been wanting in the series to address, the whereabouts of Abigail Callaghan since the conclusion of the story. And the implications of her return and interactions with the series' characters, especially her father and Hiro.
> 
> The great thing about a character like her that has so little to work off of in the source material, I have taken a lot of creative freedom that expand on her in a plausible manner.
> 
> While this chapter may be a bit more action oriented and only begins to lead towards the integration of Abigail to the main storyline, I hope it helps to provide the audience with a sense of her character, personality and motivations.
> 
> Please, by all means, leave any reviews with recommendations for improvement and/or what you like in these following chapters.
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> Warning: Light violence
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.

Chapter 1: The Silent Sparrow Speaks

Within a vast hanger, a lone prototype aircraft sits at the end of a long, railed runway. At the height of the structure was a control room, complete with various screens and virtual mappings of the surrounding area. It was a space that hosted the likes of various prominent members of military and government leadership. Present to spectate the battle testing of the prototype. Within the prototype aircraft, the pilot was conducting her final pre-flight checks.

"Well, the world is watching you. The success of this project wholly depends on you now. No pressure, of course," an enthusiastic voice rang through the pilot's internal communication system within the cockpit.

With a confident smirk, the young, female pilot responded, "Wonderful. Might as well give them a show to remember."

"Then, the stage is all yours, Ms. Callaghan," her supervisor said in a playful but encouraging tone. It belonged to her superior, Mr. Shinji Tanaka. She appreciated his candid and relaxed personality, even under the high stakes at this final phase of the project.

Abigail briefly found herself reflecting on how she arrived to this point in life. She was grateful to be a part of this project. After she was rescued through the portal of the failed "Project Silent Sparrow"—having been stranded on the "other side"— she immediately dove back into her work as a test pilot for various military technology contractors across the country and overseas.

Although the circumstances for her desire to work away from home were… complicated. She knew that, despite enjoying what she was currently doing, she couldn't escape the feeling that she was running away from what happened there… her disappearance in that catastrophic accident… and what her father did in his grief for her.

Abigail Callaghan, after being treated and debriefed of her experiences in that different dimension, would promptly move to pouring herself from project to project. In this case, she was approached and selected personally by Mr. Shinji Tanaka, the co-founder of Tanaka-Ackerman Air Industries, to test pilot a prominent military project. It was designed to challenge the trend of military aircrafts being unmanned. To bring back a certain human touch of innovation, ingenuity and the amassed personal experience that even today's advanced Artificial Intelligence processing cannot yet replicate.

She was part of Tanaka-Ackerman Air Industries' secretive "Project APOLLO," a prototype proposed for rapid deployment by the military and self-defense forces. It was aptly named after the NASA's Apollo space missions (prior to the absorption of NASA into the International Space Agency or ISA), where when digital systems failed, human ingenuity and creativity allowed for disasters to be averted or ensured mission success.

The project's hallmark: to integrate a smart A.I., named "ODIN," which was capable of providing comprehensive real-time situational awareness and battlespace intel, while having the aircraft, itself, operated by a skilled, seasoned human pilot. That pilot would be yours truly. It was designed with the hope of creating a synergistic and symbiotic relationship between human and A.I. for augmented and unparalleled aerial combat performance.

To reduce the input time of controls and decrease reaction time for enhanced maneuvering, it would utilize a neurotransmitter that would directly translate the thoughts of the pilot into the APOLLO's flight control system (FLCS). It's performance directly reflecting Abigail's tactical decision-making and hyper-focused skills under duress. This neurotransmitter technology was notably provided by Krei Tech Industries, her former employer. Although, it was rumored to have been based on the designs of a certain gifted student's school project at the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology.

Unfortunately, Abigail was fully aware of this project, since it was the very same technology that her father stole and abused to exact retribution on Alistair Krei. She did not want to dwell on this, it was a complicated and painful situation... to see what her father became and those he hurt in her name. But at times, these thoughts would intrude her headspace. Keeping herself busy would keep them at bay, focusing on tasks after tasks, projects after projects...

Snapping back to focus, she prepared herself. "Well, ODIN, you ready for this?" the pilot asked, affectionately petting the aircraft like an owner would their furry companion. "/Systems operational. Standing by to commence operation/," the computerized, formal male voice of the A.I. ODIN responded. Abigail chuckled at her A.I.'s monotonous and systemized responses, hoping they can eventually make him more personable and have a more natural voice generated.

"Good, I guess we are up then," the female pilot stated jovially as she settled in fully. Prompting the slender, young woman to don her helmet over her chestnut brown hair, neatly styled into a ponytail. Shown in capital letters, "CALLAGHAN" written on the side of her helmet. Taking a deep breath and exhaling calmly, she closed her eyes to give herself a brief moment of calm stillness.

"APOLLO 1, BASE TOWER, you are clear to commence the test," a more notably formal and monotonous voice announced through the communication systems.

Opening her eyes to reveal her large blue eyes, her pupils moderately dilating in anticipation for her performance. Abigail smiles confidently, "Then it's showtime."

The prototype APOLLO aircraft was then swiftly propelled along the long runway of the hanger, Abigail grinned ear to ear as she felt the immense G-forces along her body from the sheer speed of the aircraft. Its sleek design allowed the aircraft to pierce quickly across an open valley, as Abigail took note of the surrounding terrain features.

"/Multiple threats detected. Displaying twelve unmanned aerial combat drones approaching in two separate formations/," ODIN informed the female pilot. Immediately, ODIN began highlighting on Abigail's HUD (heads-up display) the presence of various unmanned aerial combat drones at a distance but closing in on them.

"Well, I hope our audience likes fireworks!" Abigail exclaimed as she accelerated towards one formation of drones, while sending long-range missiles towards the other formation coming from another direction. "Next toy to try out," she says giddily as she fires the APOLLO's Gauss projectile accelerator coil-gun, sending rounds at incredible speeds through rails of electromagnetic coiling that struck several drones at distance with deadly precision. Highlighting her intuitive skills to predict their evasive trajectories.

With both the drones and herself approaching each other quickly, they shortly arrived within engaging distance of both forces' short-range missiles and 20mm cannons. To display its capabilities for the test, the APOLLO was equipped with live fire armaments. However, the expendable drones were equipped with rather large paint rounds and dummy missiles for simulation purposes, a precaution to not damage the prototype or endanger the human test pilot. But still providing a realistic simulation of this aerial engagement, taking hits from these would potentially reflect poorly for the project and simulate her being shot down. Abigail was determined to avoid every round shot towards her, to show that humans still have value in a world now dominated by technology.

Ms. Callaghan, in her relatively young career time, had already gained an illustrious reputation for her victories against both human- and A.I.- piloted training "dogfights" and she had developed a massive working knowledge on how to engage even the most skilled ace opponents. This reputation was justified in front of the spectating government and military officials in awe, as Abigail skillfully maneuvered to avoid enemy fire but successfully destroyed several drones with her 20mm cannons lining up with their trajectories.

The second formation arrived within range, this time firing their own missiles at Abigail. "Welcome to the party! You come bearing gifts?" she playfully "greeted" the next formation of drones as she uses her aircraft's airborne laser weapon systems. These were designed to emit high energy directionally at targeted incoming missiles to neutralize them before they can reach the aircraft. It had multiple systems along the prototype, allowing the pilot to target multiple missiles at once. But this required skillful focus by the pilot while conducting other maneuvers.

However, this was not an issue for Abigail. She was known for having an uncanny ability to operate multiple functions at any given time, bringing the illusion of multi-tasking when she was actually processing back and forth between all of the inputs and stimuli that allowed her to fight, maneuver and observe the battle space seamlessly.

Admittedly, she attributes this ability to her father, who has shown this same capability. Something he used in his work in robotic sciences, his career as head professor and during his prior military service. Unfortunately, it was this ability that also allowed Callaghan to control a massive amount of microbots to capture Alistair Krei, rebuild Silent Sparrow and fight and contain all the members of Big Hero 6 simultaneously.

"/Another contingent of enemy targets approaching from the southwest, twelve total targets/" the A.I. ODIN said, making Abigail aware of the next group as she finishes off the initial two formations. Having an idea, she quickly requests, "ODIN, could you please display an overview of the nearby city?" ODIN displayed a digital map of the nearby mock city, an uninhabited metropolis created specifically for war games. Studying the brief map overview, Abigail decides to accelerate towards the city and attract the drones into that direction.

"Ummm, Ms. Callaghan? Where are you going? This wasn't part of the plan," Mr. Tanaka inquired, although still in a rather relaxed tone but genuinely curious of Abigail's deviation from their operational game plan. "I'm going off-script a little, relax. What's the use of having all of this 'playground' if it's not going to be in play?" Abigail playfully responded to her superior in the internal comms.

"I trust you know what you're doing," her superior chuckled, having faith in her abilities to think on the fly. "You know it," she laughed as she began to maneuver between the skyscraper buildings and even flying right along the city streets at a dangerously low altitude. At this point, the drones were on her tail but several were already crashing into buildings in their pursuit. As she weaved through the city, she began to maneuver into areas of the city and at angles that she could destroy the incoming drones.

"Whoah. You're killing it out there. You are a machine. You're definitely worth every penny hiring you, Ms. Callaghan," Mr. Tanaka laughed in the comms. "You have one more group incoming, let's get this done so we can go for a celebratory bite after this. My treat." Abigail shook her head, smiling, "Boss, you sure know how to treat a lady."

Focusing on the last group, ODIN displayed their approach to Abigail. "Looks like the last of our guests have arrived at the party. Time to give them a little welcoming surprise," she smirked, enjoying her job way too much. She noted that the drones were still not in view, due to a building standing between them. She knew the limitations of the current programming of combat drones, that they were based on algorithms from strict standard operating procedures. She knew, that these drones would try to take the most efficient route to her but avoid the building as obstacles in their way. She accelerated directly towards the building between her and the drones. For her, the obstacle was the way.

"ODIN, identify which floor of the building ahead has the most clearing with least obstructions at current trajectory," Abigail requested of her A.I. "/The 52nd floor has the most clearance at your current trajectory. Highlighting on your display. Be advised, it is a small opening, please proceed with caution./" ODIN responded as it highlighted the small sliver of the building that Abigail wanted through her HUD. "That's sweet, thanks for the concern, ODIN," she joked to the A.I., having complete confidence in her abilities as she adjusted her heading.

By this time, the drones were closing in and preparing to maneuver around the building just as she predicted. "Uhhh, Ms. Callaghan, you do know there's a building in front of you?" her superior said nervously through the comms. "Precisely," she said as she had maneuvered the aircraft into the building, passing through the mock building's business office cubicles and narrowly missing the floor and ceiling with precision. She emerged through the windows on other side of the building. At an advantageous position, she was on the tail of her pursuers and made short work of them.

"APOLLO 1, BASE TOWER. ENDEX, I say again, ENDEX," the formal voice returned. It was the end of the exercise.

"Nearly gave me a heart attack, hotshot. Have to say, you really put on a show for our guests. That contract is almost guaranteed now, tremendous work. Now get back here and let's celebrate with the rest of the team," Mr. Tanaka said, not attempting to hide his giddy excitement.

Abigail returned to the hanger bay promptly, being greeted by Mr. Tanaka who introduced her to the entourage of generals and government officials. Showering her with praise, she kindly corrected them that it is the aircraft's development team that should get praise for their design. "I only get to play with the cool toys they make," she said jokingly, even being around very formal high-ranking officials. Impressed with the design and her piloting skills, the project was well-received and its future prospects promising.

As Mr. Tanaka promised, he then had Abigail and the APOLLO development team come together for a celebratory dinner. The atmosphere was one of delight in their success, triumph over so many technical and bureaucratic hurdles and an air of the connection between a team, a family. With the things that were going on in her life, she appreciated this time to share connections with people that consider her part of their family.

"Ms. Callaghan, thank you for agreeing to come onto this project. I hope it is okay to say... When I approached you, I had heard that you were moving from project to project directly after returning from… that 'far-off place.' And I don't mean to assume, but I believe I know why. Regardless of what … he did… you are making a respectable name for yourself. You are your own person. Although, I pray that you will be able to slow down and process everything that has happened since you were gone…" Mr. Tanaka said in a caring and yet solemn tone that Abigail has never seen. A smile suddenly returned on his face, in a heartfelt manner he told her, "But I sincerely want to thank you on behalf of the development team, you showcased what their labors had produced. I hope the best for your future endeavors, Ms. Callaghan."

Abigail smiled back, but found herself having a hard time responding to him. So she could only say "Thank you for everything, Mr. Tanaka," and came in for a hug. She appreciated his sentiment. He was a caring, fatherly man, perhaps the near same age as her father. But his words, while bringing up many emotions within her, were genuinely caring and comforting with his understanding.

Suddenly, one of the members of the APOLLO development team rushed into the room to get Abigail's attention. "Guys! Ms. Callaghan… I am sorry… I think you should see this," he said in a distressingly, serious tone. Mr. Tanaka and Abigail followed the crowd of team members congregated around one of their digital monitor screens. As they made their way upfront to view live news development being shown on the monitor, Abigail immediately noticed it was showing San Fransokyo... her home.

The headlines of the developing news story read, "A Second Great Catastrophe Narrowly Averted." The news anchor revealed, "The city of San Fransokyo was nearly completely destroyed, experiencing a series of bizarre events that researchers say would have caused more damage than the Great Catastrophe of 1906. Although the circumstances are still unclear, it was reported that the folks of San Fransokyo witnessed what appeared to be a star hovering over its lighthouse." Abigail was shocked and became uneasy, hearing the story unfold. It continued, "The star was said to cause a massive explosion after it became unstable, the blast would've destroyed nearly all of San Fransokyo. If it weren't for a sudden massive tsunami wave that seemed to stop it from causing damage."

Abigail was speechless, still processing it all. She thought to herself that this could not be happening, this could not be real. But the team members around her, in their commotion, began to see what the other news sites would say about the situation. One of the news sites had a local video recording submitted, the sight of it left everyone silent as their eyes were completely focused on the unreal situation. They witnessed the event, the bright star that arose from the lighthouse, hovering over the San Fransokyo bay. As it began to implode, it sent a terrifying shockwave of energy that threatened to overtake the city. But the person recording the video on his phone, while attempting to be steadily record the situation, would capture a massive green object meteor down into the bay, causing a massive tsunami wave that engulfed the star's shockwave. And to everyone's surprise, a large pink wall around the pier of the Fish City district was able to stop the now oncoming massive wave.

There was no doubt in anyone's mind now, this was a true catastrophe that could have ended in tragedy and massive loss in an instant. But to the members who knew Abigail, including Mr. Tanaka, they looked to her with concern, knowing that she grew up there and that she had a... certain family member there. Abigail's mind raced and emotions were beginning to overtake her, she could feel the rapid palpitations of her heartbeat. Attempting to focus and hide her emotional distress, she tried to calm herself down, taking deep breaths and closing her eyes. As she attempted to process this near disaster, she came to the harsh realization of what she would have lost if it wasn't averted.

Admittedly, she was trying to escape the truth of her father and his actions. She wanted to stay away from him, she felt immense anger, guilt, shame and sadness towards the "Silent Sparrow Incident." A part of her somehow believed that she was the cause of it all, had she not volunteered to participate in that project, she would have never been stranded and her father wouldn't have hurt people.

There was still so much to process and heal from the incident, but she realized that she would have lost so many opportunities had San Fransokyo been destroyed. And along with it, would've been her father, who despite all things considered she still loved and wanted to be able to forgive him... to reconnect with him. With her mother having passed away, he was all that she had left in the world. If he was gone, there would have been the regret of never coming to visit him again after she returned. The regret of never mending things with him.

Deep in thought, she then saw that someone had switched the channel to San Fransokyo's own news network. And with it, the familiar news anchor, Bluff Dunder reported, "It was a countdown to catastrophe. But thanks again to Big Hero 6, I am fine... And the city is too.. which is what I was worried about. Who are these mysterious do-gooders?" And then it was followed by various images of San Fransokyo's citizens thanking and taking pictures with San Fransokyo's own local team of heroes, Big Hero 6.

Among the images, one particular one had caught Abigail's eyes immediately. Surrounded by children swarming around a small figure, a young hero clad in purple armor is shown to be squeezed in for a photo. Standing next to a school bus, it was clear that the children revered him and his team. Rightfully so. Although the visor of his helmet was slightly tinted to conceal his identity, it was possible to slightly see the shy smile of a boy beneath it.

This was the boy who had, along with his team, apprehended her father at the Krei Tech Industries building that was being torn apart by the unstable Silent Sparrow portal. This was also the very same boy who risked his life to save Abigail's life, and as she had heard briefly from her father, had also lost a friend to the "other side" of Silent Sparrow.

It is by no surprise that he and his team would risk themselves to protect the city from that mysterious star that threatened it. But, had they been unable to succeed... Abigail realized that she would have regretted never meeting her rescuer, to properly thank him for what he had done for her. Truthfully, she had only heard so little about him, and wanted to get to know him. Her father knew his actual identity…

It appears that despite her attempts to avoid San Fransokyo, to avoid anything that had to do with her father… she was being called back home to face these issues regardless of what she would do to stay away. She would have to face her father and her feelings towards him. And perhaps, could she hope to atone for the sins of her father? She had to steel herself, it was an inevitable outcome that she would have to return home. But she was going to do so of her own volition, of her own accord. If she had to face it then she must commit to it head on.

"Ms. Callaghan… Abigail.. are you doing alright?" Mr. Tanaka inquired, an almost fatherly concern shown in his expression. Abigail looked at him, smiling reassuringly, "Yeah… looks like I'm coming home."


	2. The Death of a Phantom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Professor Callaghan is faced with reflecting on his mistakes and the damage it's caused.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: While I certainly have a tentative outline for the sequence of events that will be covered in this series, I wanted to thank those who provide me with reviews. This creative process is always changing and growing, and your input certainly helps me to explore different directions. Sincerely, thank you for the feedback and please keep them coming.
> 
> As a fair warning or disclaimer, this chapter will be… rather serious. And some of the imagery may not sit well with some readers. But I hope that it will help to show the impact of the events within the movie. Perhaps even provoke some sympathy… or not. Curious how this chapter will be received. A bit shorter, but wanted to be from one perspective for this part of the story.
> 
> While I deemed that the story would have to go towards a serious tone at this part of it, I promise that it won't all be dark clouds and there will be moments of sunshine and happiness lol. I am really enjoying this process if anything else. Please enjoy and stay tuned!
> 
> Warning: Light violence, Possibly Disturbing Imagery
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.

Chapter 2: The Death of a Phantom

Within the elongated halls of the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology's renowned Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab, roamed a tall middle-aged man dressed in a green sweater vest, blue dress shirt and dark brown slacks. Beneath his graying hair and slightly wrinkled, fair skin, his large blue eyes gazed affectionately around this building he had long since come to love as a familiar, "second home." It was a place where brilliant young minds were developed and challenged to succeed. With several documents in hand, Professor Callaghan began to walk towards the elevator to return to his main office on the other side of the campus. Until, he suddenly heard an excited voice beaming across the halls, emanating from one his student's personal labs.

"You work! I can't- I can't believe it! Okay, all right. Big moment here. Scan me…" the voice rang out with unrestrained elation and anticipation. "/Your neurotransmitter levels are elevated. This indicates you are happy./" a robotic voice responded, its tone both informative and yet oddly warm or comforting despite its lack of overt emotional expression. Professor Callaghan recognized these voices, with a warm and proud smile worn on his face, he walked curiously in their direction.

"I am. I really am. Oh man, wait 'til my brother sees you. You're going to help so many people, buddy. So many. That's all for now, I am satisfied with my care," Tadashi said with an expression of exhilaration and triumphant pride. After 84 separate test trials to get his programming functioning properly, Tadashi had made a tremendous stride in developing his robotic healthcare companion.

"It seems you've made quite the breakthrough, Mr. Hamada," Professor Callaghan spoke proudly to his protege, as he opened the door of Tadashi's lab. As he walked in, he saw Tadashi's creation deflate neatly into a red, compact charging container on the floor. "Professor Callaghan! I have! It certainly took a 'few' tries, but I just could never bring myself to give up on Baymax and it really paid off!" Tadashi exclaimed, beaming with an ecstatic expression at the progress of his passion project. His excitement almost childlike and energetic.

These trials required unyielding perseverance to reach any progress, a fact that was not lost on Professor Callaghan. But this was why he had spent much of his time specifically mentoring Tadashi. His beloved protege aspired to dedicate the development of his technology towards helping people and bettering the world. For Professor Callaghan, Tadashi epitomized his own ideals of using technology to shape the future, beyond simply improving technology for personal gain or vanity.

Professor Callaghan shared in this moment with his most promising and beloved student, wearing a warm, fatherly smile at the pride he felt for Tadashi. It was a moment he wanted to cherish…

Until suddenly, the walls around the two began to combust and became rapidly engulfed in flames. "What's happening? No! Tadashi!" the professor yelled as he witnessed this surreal horror, reaching out his hands towards his student to pull him away from the flames. But instead, Tadashi did not seem to notice the flames and looked towards his professor with an expression of concern towards his mentor. "Professor Callaghan? What's wrong?" Tadashi asked with caring concern, still oblivious to the flames that were now engulfing his body.

Horrified, Callaghan yelled for his student with an agonizing sense of powerlessness. He was perplexed at his inability to move, feeling a massive force that seemed to pull him away. It was actively stopping him from reaching towards his protege in an attempt to rescue him. In complete terror, the professor watched as his student was now unrecognizable. The silhouette of Tadashi's image, a figure of burnt ash that was crumbling and fading away. The only thing that would not burn or fade away, his black San Fransokyo Ninja baseball cap that he would seldom be seen without. The iconic hat, slowly falling to the floor.

Suddenly, the force that was holding Callaghan back became more visible and had grown exponentially in size. Professor Callaghan felt the chaotic movement of small machines around him, as they formed a massive black tendril that enwrapped him and pulled him outside of the building. However, he noticed that he was not outside the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab… he recognized the surroundings of a white, modern architectural structure that was now being torn apart as fragments floated towards the sky. He was outside of the Krei Tech Industries headquarters building.

He was then pulled violently across the plaza, where the tendril of microbots lifted and suspended him in the air as he attempted to resist. Looming before the professor, a dark, intimidating figure emerged beneath the aggregation of the small machinery. Donning a long black coat, he floated menacingly towards the professor and seemingly glared at him through the "eyes" of a Kabuki mask.

The mask shifted upwards, terrifying Professor Callaghan. It revealed beneath the mask was the face of Callaghan, but with unfettered hatred possessing his expression. A face that was obviously familiar, and yet oddly not recognizable to the professor, in disbelief of what he was seeing. As the phantom opened his mouth to speak to the enwrapped professor, the mismatched voice that erupted out of the phantom would haunt Callaghan to his very soul. Yokai spoke to Callaghan, but his voice was not his own, but rather the anguished voice of the young boy, Hiro Hamada, "You just let him die… He went in there to save you!"

Professor Callaghan sat up explosively from his bed, gasping to catch his breath as his heart pounded incessantly. Shaking uncontrollably, his hands in tremors, as his eyes searched around him to realize that he was not at the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab nor the Krei Tech Industries building. Adjusting to the reality of where he was, he touched the transparent wall next to him as he attempted to calm himself down. Within these confined, transparent walls and bright white surroundings, his panicked breathing echoed within the room and his head. "That… nightmare again…" he muttered to himself weakly, exhausted at the ordeal.

Hiro's anguished words that he spoke to him in the nightmare and at their fated encounter on Akuma Island, echoed sharply in Callaghan's mind. His tormented thoughts wandered towards the young boy, recalling the day that he was surprised to be visited by him. Of course, he only came to learn more about Professor Callaghan's former SFIT colleague, Grace Granville. He fully understood that there was a possibility the boy would not forgive him or would even respond harshly. But he knew it had to be said, he was compelled to take that opportunity to thank Hiro for rescuing his Abigail and… apologize for what happened to Tadashi from his own selfish actions. Sorrowfully, he recalled Hiro's parting words, "Tadashi… would've wanted me to forgive you… Someday, I hope I can."

The former professor smiled to himself in a self-admonishing way, thinking to himself that he was foolish to even hope that Hiro would forgive him. He painfully understood what he had inadvertently taken away from the young boy. In his confinement, with only time to himself, Callaghan found that he was now mourning and processing the grief at the loss of his beloved protege, Tadashi. And at his own hands… He wondered if he could even forgive himself, or that there was any possibility to make amends to the Hamada's.

His eyes drifted around his cell, always drawn to the one thing in it that was the one thing that was truly his. He stared at the photograph hung up on the wall, the image of his precious daughter in her pilot suit, seemingly smiling back at him. His dearest Abigail… she too could not forgive him for the things he did, all in the name of avenging her apparent death. When Abigail had recovered, she would visit him only once… but as she learned of the events that transpired after her disappearance in that accursed project, she couldn't even stand to look at her own father. And thereafter, Callaghan had never heard from her since. He had nowhere else to take solace in his life, aside from the reality that at least he knew that his Abigail was safe. At least, he could take comfort that she was back. And with her return, the phantom, "Yokai," had died.

Deep in thought as he sat staring at his hands as if they were stained in blood, Callaghan did not notice someone enter through the doorway beyond his cell until he saw them in his periphery. His eyes slowly raised to see the beloved person that was everything to him, all he had left in this life. Abigail stood before him, her face holding a nearly cold expression as she attempted to restrain her emotions. "Hey, Dad…"


	3. We Shape the Future

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail meets her father for the first time after having been away from San Fransokyo for a while

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Really rolling out with the chapters, back to back. Trying to take advantage of the time I have now to put this together and when my brain is working the way I want it to lol. And while the series' season two is on hiatus, I am just aching for BH6 content. So this appeases me a bit to put something together and imagine.
> 
> Please feel free to review, provide some feedback on what is good and what could use improvement. Or suggestions on things you would like to see. I am enjoying the process and where this story will lead. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.

Chapter 3: We Shape the Future

The large blue eyes of the former professor widened, looking in disbelief and wondered if he was still actually dreaming. Or was this truly his daughter standing before him, beyond his transparent confines. Professor Callaghan's mouth opened as he quickly stood up from his seat, his hand reaching out in front of him. "Abby…. Is that really you?" the middle-aged man spoke softly yet questioning that this was reality or another dream.

Abigail looked to him and then found her gaze falling towards the floor, rubbing her hand along her forearm as a sense of shame crept within her. "Yeah Dad, it's really me," she responded in a low voice. Despite the tempest of emotions that was raging violently within her… she did feel guilty for completely leaving her father here alone. She saw the toll exacted on him, being left to his own devices. The wrinkles around his eyes all the more worn down and his eyes seemingly heavy. It was also apparent that he had lost an unhealthy amount of weight, as she figured he was barely eating or caring for himself.

She was still very much… angry towards him and ashamed of what he had done… But seeing him now, she saw only a broken man, a shadow of his old self. A shadow of the man she had held so dearly in her heart, a man that she looked up to all her life. Now, standing before her was someone who seemed different altogether. Despite all that she had planned to say to him, all that she wanted to ask of him… she found herself almost frozen, unable to find the words she had desperately wanted to say. The silence between them became deafening, until Professor Callaghan broke that silent barrier between them.

"I understand that you are still mad at me, Abby. And I understand why…" he spoke in a solemn and apologetic tone, but painfully unable to continue. The reality of the situation, of finally being in front of her father, suddenly rushed her. It was as if Abigail felt the rush of the truth that reminded her why she had spent all of this time running away. "I… I never would have wanted any of this. I had a hard time accepting reality, that this is the world I come back to after being alone over there. I never would have wanted you to hurt others because of me…" Abigail paused, thinking briefly. "I always knew the risks of my profession, I always recognized that for every test flight I did… there was always the possibility I would not make it back…" Abigail closed her eyes, taking a deep breath before continuing, "And if that ever came to pass, that I was truly lost to you… I always wanted you to be able to move forward, to still continue your passions to help shape the future. But you always… always let your emotions fester and consume you. It's just like with mom…" Abigail's voice shuddered, now clenching her fist.

"Abby…" Professor Callaghan looked away, he knew that with everything that has happened… he needed to allow his daughter to completely express herself. Moreover, he was so guilt-ridden that he would not even know what to say to her in the heat of this moment. "When mom died… it was as if a part of you died with her. But you never allowed yourself to truly grieve… you just kept on going as if you could continue on alone and keep it all in you. Even when I was younger, I saw it. But it was as if you could not even admit to yourself that you were in pain…"

Abigail took a pause to breathe, "You were never able to come to terms with her accident… and when I chose to follow a similar path like hers… you reacted so harshly all of a sudden. Like years of pain and anger had finally peaked, and you couldn't admit to the fear I would share her fate."

Callaghan painfully remembered the passing of his wife, Gale, and the feelings of sheer emptiness that incessantly reminded him of what he could no longer have. Like Abigail, she was an adventurous woman who was not afraid to take risks in order to explore new heights. Indeed, it was these qualities that endeared him to her when they had first met. At the time, they were both serving in the military and she was operating next-generation jet fighters as a renowned pilot. He often admired but feared her drive to explore the world and pave the way to new experiences, despite the personal risks they involved.

Gale was well-accomplished in her own right. It was by no surprise that she would try out and be selected for the International Space Agency's Astronaut Program. It was the epitome of her desires to explore the unknown and experience a life that many can only dream of. Aside from her time with him and their daughter, it was something that she was wholeheartedly passionate about.

But, Callaghan still vividly remembers the horrifying accident that took Gale away from him. He was in abject terror as he watched on a live video feed the fated catastrophic failure of his wife's space shuttle. In an instant, he had lost her to a sudden explosion shortly after its launch. It was the type of accident that the International Space Agency truly attempted to prevent, but there are always inherent risks and a marginal possibility that something would fail. But it was that small margin that he dwelled on. Despite its low probability, it still occurred and took her away. Seeing this as a cruel twist of fate, Callaghan lamented her loss in silence.

Understanding the scars that still remained between them over Gale's passing, Callaghan apologized, "Abby… I am sorry… You were never wrong in looking up to your mother, for sharing her same ideals and aspirations. When Gale.. when your mother passed away, you were all I had left in the world. I… see her in you. And because of that, I feared that I would lose you too. You are stubborn and brave, just like her. No matter how much I would want it, I hated that I couldn't hang onto you forever." Abigail looked at her father. Although she did not agree with how her father handles his grief, she did understand that losing her mother had scarred him deeply and that she was all that was left that truly mattered most to him. Abigail understood this because when her mother died, it was the same. Her father was all that she had left.

"When I thought I lost you, I… I felt so terrifyingly alone… I could not accept that I had lost you too…" Callaghan continued, still looking down at his hands. "And with that emptiness in my heart, all I would feel was anger and hatred. Anger towards myself for not trying to stop you once more… Hatred towards Alistair for his arrogant disregard for safety... for your safety… I know it does not justify everything I've done. But nothing else in the world mattered to me as much when you disappeared. I felt that I had lost my everything and that the world was always taking away from me. In my anger, I wanted those I felt at fault to feel that pain too."

Abigail could not imagine how he felt at her disappearance, but she could not fathom the pain caused by her father. "I never would have wanted you to become that person. I never would have wanted people to be hurt over me. I am so.. ashamed of what happened because it was as if you had forgotten my voice… you had forgotten what I would want even if I was gone from this world. And now, so many lives were hurt and lost. All in my name," Abigail confessed solemnly. This time, there was not a hint of anger in her voice, only the uneasy feeling of pain and guilt. She had felt that she had become the "silent sparrow," her desires and voice not heard beyond the pain of loss. She had returned back from the other side, only to find that her absence left a painful legacy in her wake.

"Abby…" the former professor paused, reflecting on those he never set out to hurt and the pain he's caused. "What happened to Tadashi… because of me… I will never be able to forgive myself for causing his death…" Callaghan's face strained in pain, closing his eyes and remembering the nightmarish image of losing Tadashi to the flames… flames that he had caused. This time, tears fell from his eyes, as he attempted to control himself. Abigail looked at her father, she knew that he was in agony over his protege. She knew what he had meant to her father. She understood that Tadashi had epitomized her father's life's work to shape the future through technology and helping others for a better world.

Mentoring young minds to continue down his path and beyond it, this was her father's passion. And Tadashi represented the hallmark of his work. And in many ways, he regarded Tadashi with the same fatherly pride that he would for Abigail. Tadashi gave Abigail a semblance of hope for her father. The hope that her father finally found something in his life that was gratifying enough to surpass all of the pain he's been through. It was for this reason that she had the utmost respect for Tadashi. But, also the reason for her pain at his loss by the very man who sought to mentor him.

"Dad, you… I…" Abigail had found herself at a loss for words now, she was not sure if she was angry towards her father or felt sympathy for him. Perhaps both. Once again, there was a period of silence between them. In her discomfort, Abigail almost considered walking out. But Callaghan looked up at his daughter, fearing that she would leave again and never see him for a long time. He took the opportunity, feeling he may never get the chance to say, "Abby, even if you decide to never see me again. I just want you to know that I love you. It might not mean much to you, but I am truly sorry for hurting them... for hurting you."

Taken aback, Abigail looked to her father, "Dad… I could never stay away from you forever. Even if I feel that I want to… I still have to come back to you eventually." With all this time that he had never heard from her, Callaghan wondered, "But why? Why did you come back to see me? Why now… or ever?" Once again, Abigail closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she attempted to collect herself. Her thoughts recalling how she felt when she saw what would have been the Second Great Catastrophe, how she felt of losing her father. "Honestly, I have been running away from everything, from you… But when I saw that incident that almost destroyed the whole city… I became so afraid that I would have lost the opportunity to try to work things out with you… Despite how I feel, you are all that I have left and… I do still love you, Dad"

More tears streamed down the weathered, wrinkled skin of her father, but was accompanied by a small smile this time. While everything in his life was painted with agony and guilt, it was a pleasant, if not brief, moment that at least reassured him that he did not completely lose everything. "I… understand why you feel that way towards me and why you left… but it… it means a lot to hear that from you after so long," he said softly. After a while, he looked back up towards his daughter, who seemed like she had more to say.

"Dad… I also came here to find out… who was the boy who risked his own life to save mine. You know him, don't you?" Callaghan's eyes widened briefly. His mind suddenly rushed by the memories of his interactions with the young boy, including the anguished face of betrayal he wore when he saw the man underneath the Kabuki mask. The boy's words echoing in his mind, "You just let him die… He went in there to save you!"

Once again, Callaghan opened his mouth but he found it difficult to speak. But for Abigail, he understood that this was important to her. He had to tell her, "Yes… his name is… his name is Hiro Hamada." Abigail gasped as she raised a hand towards cover over her mouth, horrified at the revelation. The implications haunted her, "Tadashi's younger brother?" Professor Callaghan could only look down with guilt but nodded to his daughter in confirmation. Abigail's mind was racing, feeling that fate has truly been cruel… that the boy who saved her, was the very same boy that her father had caused so much grief.

Remembering what she was told about her rescue, she thought about the one who was left behind on the other side. Suddenly, she realized that the "friend" who sacrificed themselves to ensure they made it back… had to be Tadashi's own creation. She cursed this twist of fate, gaining more understanding to the agonizing guilt that continues to break her father. None of this would have happened if I didn't go… if I wasn't stranded on the other side, she admonished herself, thinking about how it was those events that set all of this in motion. What would things be like if that catastrophic accident never occurred? If she was able to have returned before they shut down the last portal of Project Silent Sparrow?

Regaining some composure and collecting herself, Abigail could only say, "Thank you, Dad." Abigail appreciated her father's honesty and could see what all of this had done to him. Perhaps she has not forgiven him still, but at least she has come to understand more about what drove him and that he sincerely wants to apologize for his actions. "Will you… go to see him?" Callaghan asked unsteadily.

Abigail paused for a moment, gathering herself. "Yeah, I never got to thank him for rescuing me. And I want to make things right… For him. For Tadashi," Abigail admitted, conviction behind her words as she now made her way towards the exit. She could only hear him weakly mutter, "For them… I hope you can make things right." Before she reached to open the door completely, she took a moment to look back at her father. Except this time, he seemed unable to look back up at her. Abigail took a deep breath and paused. Then continued out, making her way outside of the complex.

She came here to seek the possibility of healing. However, she is constantly learning that the extent of the pain and sorrow seems to be ever larger and more complex than she initially understood. Her father played his part in this mess, perhaps she did too… But she was more determined than ever to try to make things right. Fate has woven a cruel connection between all of them. Tragedy had molded them, influenced them and their actions. It was time that things went a better direction, that they shape the future towards healing for all of them. She was determined to meet her rescuer.

Pulling out her phone from her pocket, she began to look through a secure intelligence database, one of the many benefits of having a top-secret clearance and working with various government and private agencies. Searching for files that pertained to Hiro Hamada, her eyes were immediately directed towards a hauntingly familiar icon of a "K" symbol. She smiled faintly at the ironic development, "Seems that our paths cross again, Alistair."


	4. Unbelievable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro is surprised to meet the young woman he rescued

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Whoah! Back to back to back posting. Hope you are enjoying this series! Thanks for reading!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series

Chapter 4: Unbelievable

"Alistair Krei, you are too handsome. I absolutely envy your success. You are so much better than me," the illustrious business tycoon cooed to himself, speaking in a high-pitch tone with his best attempt to imitate a feminine voice as he admired his own reflection in a mirror. His voice echoing within his large open office suite at the top of the Krei Tech Industries headquarters building, with no one but himself at the top.

"Oh, Liv Amara, stop it. You are flattering me. I've earned all of my success, so I just enjoy the finer things in life like anyone else. You're being too kind and honest, but thank you," Alistair responded to himself in his usual, boisterous manner. Waving his hand away as if he was embarrassed but "humbly" accepting a compliment. He continued to narcissistically admire his own image, adjusting his blazer and the collars of his white dress shirt.

"Talking to yourself again?" a female voice rang out from Mr. Krei's intercom on his desk, startling the man out of his private performance. "Assistant! Were you spying on me?!" Alistair screamed with genuine embarrassment towards the voice of his personal assistant, Judy.

"You left the intercom on when you last asked me to get those presentation documents for you…" the personal assistant responded with a hint of sass, Mr. Krei knew she was probably rolling her eyes at him through the intercom.

"Yes, well….ummm… do you have something for me, assistant?" Krei muttered, obviously flustered at being caught and attempting to redirect the conversation. "Yes. There is someone who wishes to see you," she responded, now in her professional tone. "Well…" Alistair said, staring at the mirror again, contemplating continuing his "work."

"Well, I am... 'busy.' Tell them that I will have to meet them another time."

"Actually, you may want to see them. They're a former colleague of yours," she stated in a rather vague manner, piquing Krei's attention. "Well, who is it? Are you going to tell me?" Krei asked, curious but now with a little impatient annoyance.

"No, I wanted to see you sweat a little so I sent them up already, they'll be up shortly. Enjoy," Judy said snidely, he knew she was probably smiling right now. But Alistair was curious of his visitor and annoyed at the growing anticipation his assistant had provoked with her off-hand charades, waiting for his office elevator to open.

When the elevator arrived with its doors opening, Alistair was not prepared for the face that greeted him from across the room. "Abigail?" He asked, in a state of disbelief and surprise, still processing who was here to visit him. Abruptly standing up from his seat, he suddenly became frozen in place. His face changed from a shocked expression, to one of near sullen shame.

"Is that the look you give when greeting an old friend? It's good to see you too, Alistair," Abigail walked confidently towards Krei's desk, a smirk on her face as her gaze never deviated from Krei's eyes. She could read his body language, he was clearly caught off guard and showing a sense of shame that betrayed his usual, boisterous self.

Snapping himself back to his more composed self, Krei quickly moved around his desk to meet his former colleague. He reached both of his hands out to cradle one of her hands, his face both apologetic but genuinely happy to see her okay. "No, not at all. It's so good to see you, Abigail. It's just… I would never have thought that you would want anything to do with me… for obvious reasons," Krei confessed to Abigail, still in disbelief of her presence and curious what could possibly make her want to see him of all people.

The smirk on her face slightly faded, "Well, it is actually good to see you too, Alistair. I… want to be able to move forward in my life. But yes, to be honest, I am upset of how the accident transpired… but I do not know if I blame you the same way as my… father did. Perhaps, casting blame will not do anything for any of us…" Abigail's voice trailed off with melancholy, but hinted that she did not wish to bear ill will towards Mr. Krei.

"So then, what brings you back here? Surely it's not just to see my handsome face again, is it?" Alistair inquired with an attempt to lighten the mood again as he jokingly shot her a "blue steel" modeling face, complete with an exaggerated smile. But Alistair remaining curious of the situation, what she is doing back in San Fransokyo. Abigail chuckled, shaking her head at his antics.

"Well, I did want to ask you for help with a special project of mine. But perhaps, we could discuss that at a later time. However, I was actually looking for a very specific person. And he just so happens to be in your neighborhood, so to speak," she responded with a rather vague and cryptic request. Krei noted to himself that it seems no one wants to just give him the answer right away, much to his annoyance.

But he was oddly comforted by the idea that she would ask help of him. If anything, he truly felt that he owed her far more than anything that he could ever afford. And he could afford many things. But perhaps even, he owed it to his old friend, Robert, for what he had done to him as well. "Of course, Abigail. Whatever I can do to help you, I would like to offer my support whenever you are ready to discuss it with me," Alistair said in a soft, warm manner but almost with an eagerness to help his old colleague.

With curiosity, he asked, "As for that specific someone, can I help you find them?" Abigail once again smirked at him amusedly, "Yes, in fact he happens to be your new intern." With his eyes widening for a moment, Krei exclaimed, "Hiro?"

At this sudden request, Mr. Krei quickly wondered what Abigail would want from him and realized that she must've known that Hiro was… "Yes, I know who he is. Well, sort of. I mean, I know what he did for me back in that… place. I never got to properly thank him when I came back," she interrupted Alistair's train of thought to reassure him in a way that his identity would be safe with her.

Alistair understood where she was coming from, moving to his desk to press a button. "Assistant! Assistant!" he called out on the intercom. His personal assistant responded with sassy annoyance, correcting him, "It's Judy. What do you need?" Mr. Krei hinged at his hips, moving his face closer towards the intercom. "Could you tell the intern to meet me in my office?" he requested, awaiting her compliance as it seemed to take a moment. "Okay. He'll be heading up to you shortly," she suddenly responded after the momentary pause.

"Thank you, Junie," Alistair attempted to thank his personal assistant. "Judy," the assistant responded immediately with annoyance at her boss. "That's what I said, isn't it?" Krei shot an honestly oblivious look towards Abigail, who only laughed at his unintended antics and shook her head again. In a way, it was good to see that he did not change for the most part. The both of them continued to talk to each other, awaiting the arrival of the young hero.

The boy genius was working on a project within his personal lab at Krei Tech Industries. Although similar to his own lab at SFIT, it did have more capabilities as a result of Krei's vaster amount of funding for more equipment. If there was anything to be gained from being locked into a year-long contract as Mr. Krei's intern, it was the newer equipment and resources he could now access. Focusing intently on his work, he was constantly shifting from one holographic monitor to another from across the room.

Sitting on a rolling chair, he pushed himself across to slide to various areas of the room as he completed various tasks seamlessly. Similar to his SFIT lab, or even his bedroom for that matter, there was the characteristic mess of organized chaos. A physical analogy to how his own brain was organized and worked, constantly firing in a way that he would be constantly working or thinking about something to develop at various angles.

Across this lab, several holographic boards, blueprints and designs, equations and various tools were strewn all throughout his work environment. Every now and then, he would roll towards one corner of his lab to take a bite of an almond butter jelly sandwich, never remaining long enough to finish it.

He knew that there were moments when he would find himself in a state of inventor's block, so he always tried to take full advantage of the time that he was in a complete, creative flow state. Lest he may find himself ceaselessly banging his head on his desk and wasting copious amounts of paper in an attempt to brainstorm.

He was compelled to develop strategies and equipment that would be better suited to fight their foes. This was especially compounded by the fact that there is something going on behind the scenes. Hiro could not shake the feeling that there was a connection between the mutated Orso Knox and the sudden feral transformation of Momokase at the "Mystery Dinner" event. If this were the case, he and his team would need to be more capable of fighting against these mutated "monsters." He was using Mr. Krei's lab to try to look at different angles and create potential solutions. With the inclusion of his portable magnetic devices, even Hiro had to consider improving his own combat capability separate from Baymax.

Completely preoccupied in his work, he only barely saw someone come through his lab door out of his periphery. "Hey Hiro," the voice greeted him. Shaking him out of his creative zone, he was slightly startled as he unintentionally deviated from his usual seat rolling trajectory. His rolling chair was obstructed by one of the many tools on the floor, Hiro falling to the floor with a brief, startled shout. He looked up to see Krei's personal assistant, "Oh, hey Judy. What's up?" The assistant gave him an honest smile, thankful that at least someone actually remembered her name.

"I'm sorry to disturb your process. But Mr. Krei wants to see you in his office," Judy informed the boy genius, seemingly apologetically. The boy genius scowled at Mr. Krei's impeccable timing in interrupting his actual work for his "internship work," which often entailed minuscule and mundane tasks that really did not warrant his help in.

But, of course, he didn't mean to make it seem like he hated the messenger. He quickly stood up from the ground with slight embarrassment and smiled towards Judy in acknowledgement. "Ok, thanks Judy. I'll head up there now," Hiro said as he jot down some last second notes, determined not to lose his train of thought when he could return to his personal project. The personal assistant simply smiled and nodded as she left to complete other tasks.

It was these moments that he wished he had really practiced due diligence and read the fine print of his internship contract. He wanted to curse Karmi for constantly competing with him or flaunting her accomplishments at him, like her having secured an internship under Liv Amara at Sycorax complete with her own tailored lab.

But he admitted, he placed himself in this situation in his fit of jealousy. Frustrated, he entered the main elevator and sent it up to the top floor towards Mr. Krei's office. "Better not be to pick up another cow costume… What was it even for? And just why?" the boy muttered to himself in the ascending elevator. Expecting to be tasked with another mundane or demeaning task, he was surprised when the elevator opened to reveal Mr. Krei standing next to a slender, brown-haired young woman. She was smiling at him as she casually leaned against Mr. Krei's desk.

It didn't take long for him to recognize who she was. How could he not? Hiro knew that she was Abigail Callaghan. Although, the last time he had seen her was when he had rescued her from the other side of the unstable Project Silent Sparrow. Or rather, more accurately, Baymax's actions had rescued them both from the portal closing indefinitely.

Of course, this time, she was not wearing her sleek white pilot suit but rather a white-collared dress shirt tucked into fitted, professional black dress pants. Although, seeing her awake and standing before him was somewhat surreal. At that time, she was still in stasis and barely coming to as the paramedics cared for her. But to suddenly see her here, Hiro had a hard time figuring out how he felt to be in her presence. He wondered what was the best way to approach this situation. He quickly realized that only the "hero" Hiro had been the one to see her and that "normal" Hiro would not know her. Hiro attempted to look as if he had never seen her before.

"Hiro, I have someone whose been wanting to meet you," Mr. Krei waved his hand towards the young woman, and then towards him across the room. "Abigail, this is Hiro Hamada. My intern." Hiro shot Alistair a look of barely concealed annoyance, noting that Mr. Krei always took every opportunity to rub in Hiro's face that he was working for him. Despite the various moments Hiro personally saved him from his own shoddy business escapades. But he was curious, if partially worried, why would she want to specifically meet him?

"Hiro Hamada. This has been long overdue. It's a pleasure to finally meet you officially," Abigail greeted the boy with a hand outreached towards his, a warm smile on her face. "It's a pleasure to meet you too, ummm, Abigail was it? Ummm. Have we met before?" the boy tried his best to say casually, while firmly meeting her hand for a formal handshake despite his rather clear nervousness.

Unfortunately for the boy genius, despite his unbridled intellect, he was a terrible liar and could not hide his panicked attempts at playing coy. Especially on account of his telltale body language, complete with his uncomfortable smile, the unsteady voice cracks or the rapid shifting of his eyes as if he was trying to literally look for the right words in the moment. This immediately amused Abigail, seeing right through the boy's guise.

"You don't have to lie to me, Hiro. I know who you are, Captain Cut-" Abigail mused, as she was promptly stopped mid-sentence with a flustered outcry that sounded like an uneasy laugh. All in attempt to save Hiro the embarrassment of hearing his "superhero name" given by Karmi's fan fiction. Of which, has apparently become so widely viewed that many truly believed that was his actual hero name. Admittedly, it is true that he and the others never bothered to identify themselves individually with pseudonyms for their alter-egos. He silently cursed Karmi, once again. What would he even call himself?

"That's not my name! I mean… I don't know what you are talking… about? I'm not a 'captain,' I'm just Krei's... intern...Yeah..." Hiro caught himself, realizing that his act was failing spectacularly. His arms flailing in front of him as if he was pleading her to believe his ruse. But how? How did she know who he was? He then shifted his gaze towards Mr. Krei, eyes squinting menacingly with accusation that he had revealed Hiro's identity to Abigail.

Alistair merely shrugged, "Don't look at me. She already knew who you were before she came to see me. So…. Not me, intern." Abigail laughed heartily, rather enjoying the experience of meeting her brave rescuer for the first time and seeing the kind of person he was. She was not certain what she had expected of him, but meeting him in person was quite the experience. However, she was thoroughly amused at the spectacle of seeing this heroic young boy flustered, a trait that she did not expect from him. How he attempted to balance his identities was a marvel, but if this is how he acts then she is surprised that he can even hide his identity at all. But still… in these recent days, it has been an emotional rollercoaster. She was glad that this first time meeting would be more lighthearted for a nice change of pace.

Thus far, he seemed genuinely like a good kid. But could she really expect anything else of him? Surely, she had the utmost respect and reverence for the young hero. How could she not? He selflessly risked himself to rescue the daughter of the very man that caused him so much grief… This was certainly not lost on her as it spoke so much of his character. Beneath his young, boyish demeanor was someone who was undoubtedly courageous and selfless enough to constantly risk himself for others. Even if they would never know him or be able to actually thank the "real" him personally. It's rarity to find anyone like this, Abigail knew that he truly was Tadashi's brother…

She leveled her hands in front of her, attempting to calm and reassure the boy genius. "Don't worry, Hiro. Your identity is safe with me, I assure you." The boy sighed, placing his hand over his forehead. Abigail placed her hand over her heart, closed her eyes for a moment and looked to Hiro with a more serious expression. "But to speak candidly... it is really an honor to finally meet you. I know you know who I am. It truly is long overdue, but I wanted to personally thank you for what you did for me back then... I literally would not be here if it was not for your actions, or your friend's… really, you have my gratitude. I never would have thought I would be back here, back in this world," her face became more serious but her voice remained seemingly genuine with deep gratitude.

Hiro, with all of the charades put to rest, was now taken aback by her words. While processing the mentioning of Tadashi's first model Baymax that was lost to the "other side," he was also relieved that the person they persevered to rescue was standing before him. When he and Baymax decided to fly into the portal, they knew full well that they were risking themselves to get her. Even at the behest of Mr. Krei, who warned that the portal was unstable and they may not even make it. Regardless of who she was, someone had to help and they were the only ones who could do it. Did he do it for Professor Callaghan? Perhaps not, but he just knew that it was the right thing to do. It's… what Tadashi would have done. Going in to rescue her… it is not a decision he regrets, it is only the loss of Tadashi's Baymax that pains him.

But it was, in a way, gratifying and validated their efforts in that surreal world. He was happy to see that she was back and that she seemed to be doing quite well. While she may be… his daughter… Hiro could not imagine what she went through, the feelings of being stranded with little to no hope of being able to return home. No means to communicate with anyone, let alone hope for a rescue if the machine was not functional. The feelings of absolute loneliness or hopelessness, that could only be assuaged by an elongated sleep-like state as she drifted in that strange place.

Initially looking downward with a hint of sadness in his expression at the thought of Tadashi's Baymax drifting out there, he looked up at the young woman and met her with a warm, reassuring smile. "I'm just glad that you are okay, Miss Callaghan," Hiro said as he reached out his hand to her, this time shaking her hand less formally but with an honest, welcoming expression. "It's nice to really meet you this time. You know, where one of us isn't sleeping or anything," the boy quipped, speaking more confidently with sarcastic playfulness. Abigail chuckled, "Hey, can you really blame a girl for sleeping? And… please, you can call me Abigail, or even Abby, I wouldn't mind."

Hiro rubbed the back of his neck, sheepishly responding, "Oh, well… umm.. ok, Abigail." She smirked at his reluctance to call her by her nickname. He was not comfortable calling someone a nickname if they weren't really familiar with each other yet. Not to mention, this was still surreal that he was talking to someone he really doesn't know much about. But he could tell that she was a rather genuine person who seemed to be both heartfelt and playful.

"Oh, while we're saying what we like to be called… can you please not call me 'Captain Cutie' again? That really isn't what I call myself… then again I don't call myself anything but still!" the boy requested, figuring to correct things if they were going to say what they preferred to be called… or not called for that matter.

Once again, an amused grin surfaced on Abigail's face, as she half-jokingly said, "Sure. But no promises." Hiro pouted to himself, at his peril, he realized he should have just not mentioned it all. "How do you even know that name…?" he muttered lightly. "Yeah, I think you know where I got that from. Anyone can find that, it's on the internet. Must be true if it's on the internet. Thank you, KHeartsQT," Abigail teased the boy as she laughed playfully. Yeah, "thank you" Karmi. Thanks a lot, Hiro cursed his rival that seems to make his life harder even when she doesn't even explicitly intend it.

Alistair very audibly cleared his throat, gaining the two's attention, "Ahem… Well, I am so glad to see you two are getting along swimmingly. But, unfortunately, I have a meeting with a potential client. In here. So…. You know. I'll have to ask you two to leave." Brushing his hand away as if he was trying to shoo a fly, before immediately turning towards Abigail, "But Abigail… I am really glad you visited me. Please, please, please feel free to contact me on what ever you need help on. You know where to find me. If not, well… find Junie, she'll know where to find me."

Then, Mr. Krei turned towards Hiro. "And intern. Abigail is a dear colleague of mine, she deserves a warm welcoming back to San Fransokyo. Your task from your handsome boss is to keep her company and show her around what she has missed all her time away. You know, like a date. So you better be a gentleman to her!"

Hiro's face brightened flush red, his eyes widening as his eyes shifted between Mr. Krei and Abigail. "Well, fine… alright. But thanks for making it awkward, Mr. Krei," the flustered teen thanked his boss sarcastically. "You're welcome, Hiro. But in all seriousness, please support my friend Abigail on whatever she may need," Mr. Krei said, nodding towards his former colleague.

Hiro wondered how he even got into this situation. It was all so sudden and unexpected, he wondered how the guys would react to her appearance. Out of nowhere he had just suddenly met Abigail, she had apparently already known his identity somehow, and now he was taking her on a… "date?" Business escort? What do you even call something like this? Cursing Mr. Krei for making his "internship" experience a miserable one.

"You are too kind, Alistair. We'll keep in touch shortly. Well then, we'll be getting out of your hair now," Abigail returned a grateful nod to him, then facing the young genius with a sinister grin, "So, 'Captain Cutie', where are you taking me for our 'date?'"

These two just seem to be having too much fun teasing him. The boy's face became more flushed, smacking his hand against his forehead with his messy black hair engulfing his hand, he looked up while simply muttering to himself, "Unbelievable."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Since this is the world of fanfiction, I would like to be explicitly clear that I am not a romantic shipper of Hiro and Abigail. No disrespect to those out there who like that pairing, but I see her as someone who is more playful, sarcastic and teasing toward Hiro based on the kind of personality I have created for her in this headcanon. The relationship between them will grow but not in any romantic sense, and I do have an idea where it can lead.
> 
> But yes! We are moving forward in the story with more character interactions. I will do my best to capture each character's personality and how they would interact with each other.
> 
> If you have any suggestions or things you would like to see, please by all means leave a review. If not, thank you again for the read and hope that you enjoyed it.


	5. Flustrations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro must accompany Abigail as they get to know each other

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: My apologies for not getting this out sooner than I would've liked. Work has been picking up and other things going on that I had major writer's block. Oddly, I have been able to draft later chapters but this one was a bit hard for me to put together and bridge that gap.
> 
> But, as always, I hope you enjoy the read!
> 
> Edit: I updated this chapter to reflect more on how I want to portray their character development and the growth of Hiro and Abigail's friendly relationship. Have no intention of skewing towards something romantic despite Krei's joking in previous chapter.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series

The Penitent Sparrow

Chapter 5: Flustrations

"So, genius boy. Where to?" Abigail asked the young boy playfully, looking to him as he seemed to be earnestly contemplating on where they should go. There was certainly no hiding this for the boy, he was still flustered and even though he did not consider this a date… their teasing certainly made it hard not to be shy about it.

How did I even get into this situation? What should I even do? Tadashi was always the one who was better at this type of thing… Hiro thought to himself, silently freaking out at this development. Hiro never really knew how to approach being around women, with the exception of Gogo and Honey Lemon, of course. But he got close to them only due to Tadashi and what they've been through together. It's not as if he had spent time around older girls at school, he was always four to five years younger than everyone growing up. Doesn't make for the best social upbringing.

"Hey, I might be forward at times, but I don't want to make you too uncomfortable. This isn't really a date, you're old enough to be my baby brother after all. I just find it's fun to get you flustered a bit. But I do realize that this must be odd for you, to suddenly meet me. But I do want to get to know and thank you. So, thank you for rolling with it," Abigail attempted to reassure and ease the boy.

"Yeah, this is all kind of sudden… Don't usually get thanked personally, you know? Because of the whole secret identity thing, and all. But I think I understand where you are coming from," he laughed uneasily.

She had to admit, this was an interesting situation to be in and did not anticipate that the boy would be "forced" to keep her company at Alistair's request. She did want to get to know him, but she did not want to be too intrusive either. She certainly had things she wanted to discuss with Hiro, but she wanted to do so at the right time and felt that they should keep things lighthearted for now.

"That's really a shame with everything you do for so many people. But I would like to do something to show my appreciation or return the favor. Although I doubt I'll have the chance to save you in another dimension any time soon," she said sarcastically with a smile. Hiro chuckled, "Yeah, I think it would be a good idea to stay away from any portals to weird places."

"But before I showed up, what were your plans today after your internship with Alistair? Anything fun or relaxing planned?" Abigail inquired, as they were slowly walking through the Krei Tech Industries main plaza. "Well, I was actually going to work on some projects at home," Hiro admitted, matter-of-factly.

"For school? Or are they personal projects?" Abigail questioned, looking at the boy with a peculiar look like she wanted to call him a nerd. Hiro put a finger on his cheek, thinking about all of the things he was currently working on. "Well, I guess you can say both. I don't usually have time to do anything else, between school, Mr. Krei's menial tasks and crime fighting."

Abigail suddenly frowned at the young boy, "You know, when I was a fourteen-year-old, I made every attempt to go out and enjoy life. I admit, you do have a peculiar… 'part time job' but you should really take some time off and recharge every now and then. Especially since that must take its toll on you. And with school... Well, I understand you'll have a lot going on. I remember how it was when I attended SFIT, but that's all the more reason why it's important you make time to take care of yourself and unwind."

Hiro smiled, appreciated her sentiment and the concern behind it. But he focused on what she said about school particularly with a pleasantly surprised expression, "Nice! You went to SFIT too?" Abigail placed a hand on her hip, "Yup. Some of the best years of my life were spent there. Certainly, launched me to be where I am now. But can't say it was by choice at first, kind of got shoehorned into it. You know, didn't have much of choice when you're related to the head professor."

"Oh, right..." Hiro paused, even with Abigail being around him, he did not want to think about her father. Abigail realized this, showing concern that she should be careful how she approaches bringing up her father.

Hiro snapped out of it and tried to redirect the conversation back, "But, you know how busy it can get at SFIT. So, I don't really do much else. Honestly, I really do enjoy what I work on though. Except if it's something for Professor Granville, she really has it out for me... But things get quite boring to me if I'm not building or improving something." Abigail smiled at the mentioning of a familiar name and that she could tell he truly had a passion for developing new tech.

With that, the boy thought about what he was going to work on, he remembered that he was going back home to continue performing diagnostics and maintenance on Baymax. After their recent encounter with Momokase, Baymax was mostly repaired on account of his and Professor Granville's expedient work on him. But it was all rushed at the time, there was still kinks he needed to work out. Not to mention, he also had some equipment he was working on for their growing crime fighting needs.

Abigail smiled, respecting that the boy was hard working but sighed at his reluctance to unwind. "Well... I still think you should go do something like watch a movie. But, if that's the case. We don't have to necessarily go out to town. How about I accompany you while you work on your projects? I would like to see what you're working on, if that's ok with you?"

The boy's face lit up, he was always excited to share what he's developing when he could. Aside from the team, he couldn't share some of his projects to any others for obvious "hidden identity" reasons. While he often found himself being flustered around her, he felt it would help if he was able to just do what he really enjoys doing or is most comfortable with. "You sure? I mean, I'd be more comfortable with that. I don't ever get to share my work with others except for the team. So, I would like that."

"Great! Quick question, how do you get around? I still have to get a rental car, so I've been ridesharing with Super Driver to get around," Abigail admitted, a bit embarrassed to request a ride from the boy. "Ohh… I see…" the boy became more visibly shy again, looking towards a red scooter with white linings in the distance. It was Tadashi's old scooter that Hiro has since been using. "I use that… Ummm… Would you like a ride?"

Abigail was highly amused at the boy's sudden shyness again, but this situation made it too easy to tease the boy so she tried not to fluster him too much. "Gentleman and a scholar! Thank you, Hiro. I would like that if you don't mind," she simply said. "Yeah, I don't mind," he responded nervously, his voice cracking excitedly as if trying to convince her he wasn't feeling shy.

The two now arriving at the red scooter, Hiro opened a compartment and gave Abigail a helmet. To her surprise, it was a proper fit for her, but definitely not meant for the boy. She realized that this was probably formerly Tadashi's helmet. It clued her in that the boy was determined to save every keepsake of his brother's.

Hiro sat down on the scooter and started the engine as he donned his white and green helmet, his messy black hair spilling underneath the helmet and around its straps. "Well… ummm… hop on and… try to hang on please. It'll be a short ride across town," the boy said, attempting to gain some composure.

Amused but grateful he was doing his best to roll with the situation, she was a stranger after all. So Abigail simply nodded and got on the scooter behind the boy. They rode through the streets of San Fransokyo, as Abigail allowed herself this moment to take in the nostalgia of seeing the city she had grown up in. After so much of her time being spent in a world of purple clouds and then travelling around the world for various projects, it felt comforting that she was finally in a place that was familiar again.

...

"How's that 'Panda-ccino' treating you?" the warm and welcoming owner of the ever-popular Lucky Cat Café asked her customer, ensuring that they enjoyed her quirkily-designed coffee with a panda smiling back at them. "I almost don't want to drink it, it's too cute!" her customer answered enthusiastically, putting an easy smile on Aunt Cass' face as she was now moving purposefully to help other customers.

In her peripheral vision, she noticed the passing of a red scooter coming from across the street. She smiled, recognizing that her nephew was returning from his internship. But as she looked up to see him roll in, she was immediately surprised to see a young woman with the boy. Ever curious, she waited as her nephew and the brown-haired young woman entered into the shop. She noticed the boy sigh and take a deep breath.

"Wait. You're telling me you live here? You live next to a café?" Abigail was in awe of the beautifully decorated and welcoming cafe, enjoying the interior that was characterized by various cat-shaped items and Japanese- themed décor along the walls and ceiling.

"Yeah, well sort of. We live upstairs. But my aunt actually owns and runs the Lucky Cat Café," Hiro responded, immediately noticing his aunt coming to greet them. He wondered how he should introduce her to Aunt Cass. "And that's her coming to us now," the boy informed Abigail, his voice hinting his nervousness.

"Hey Hiro! Who's your friend?" Aunt Cass warmly greeted her nephew, looking at their new guest. "Hey Aunt Cass, this is… umm…" the boy attempted to respond. "Hello, I'm Abigail. I'm a colleague of Hiro's at Krei Tech Industries. You must be Aunt Cass, it's a pleasure to meet you! But I have to say, I am absolutely in love with your café! It's so lively and unique!" Abigail interjected, introducing herself with a warm handshake. She was genuinely in awe of the warm atmosphere of the small shop.

Aunt Cass was visibly pleased for the compliment, warmly greeting Abigail, "Hey Abigail, it's a pleasure to meet one of Hiro's friends from his internship. Thank you! I'm not sure if you can tell but… I really, really love cats!" Abigail chuckled heartily, taking the time to look around and admire the shop. Shortly, Abigail notices a small, round Japanese bobtail cat that was affectionately snuggling next to her leg. She knelt down to slowly place her hand near the orange, black and white cat. Mochi rubbed his head along her hand, Abigail now petting him warmly.

"Glad to see cats love you too. Isn't that right, Mochi?" Aunt Cass cooed at her feline companion. She always could tell someone was a genuinely nice person if Mochi immediately approaches them without hesitation. "You're such a friendly little guy, aren't you? It's nice to meet you too, Mochi," Abigail continued to pet him, looking up to Aunt Cass with a smile.

"So, Abigail. How long have you known Hiro? I don't think he's ever mentioned about having a friend from his internship," Aunt Cass asked curiously. Hiro raised one hand with his index finger indicating he had an answer, but he found himself stammering, trying to search for a good response. "Ohh… yeah… we actually only started to work together recently. She was… ummm… away for a while in a… faraway place… I mean somewhere overseas! Yeah, overseas. That kind of 'far away,'" the boy's voice cracked as his eyes shifted everywhere trying to find the right words to explain their meeting each other.

Abigail chuckled at his attempts to explain her sudden appearance, "Yes, that's right. I have actually heard about Hiro long before we started working together recently. He has already grown quite an impressive reputation for his work. But yes, I have been away for quite a while on special projects across the country and overseas. Only until just recently, I decided to come back to my hometown. Now, I'm working with Hiro on another project based here in San Fransokyo."

Aunt Cass smiled at Abigail, "Oh, that's great! Well, welcome back to San Fransokyo. It's a pleasure to meet a colleague of Hiro's, please make yourself comfortable and stay here for a moment if you have the time. I have a wide selection of things you can try, on the house. Please, I insist!"

Panicking, Hiro waved his hands erratically between the two women. "Thanks, Aunt Cass! Actually, we were just stopping by and we're going to go work on that project in the garage," Hiro attempted to decline his aunt's offer.

He was not entirely sure if he was comfortable with Abigail and Aunt Cass interacting since his aunt would most definitely shower Abigail with excessive invitations. And there would be more moments of trying to hide certain things from Aunt Cass. Of course, if she found out anything about his secret life, she would never let him leave the house.

"Nonsense, Hiro. You're always working too hard. Got to feed that genius brain of yours. You guys should relax here for a bit, I'll whip you guys up something delicious, my treat," Aunt Cass insisted, her body ready in anticipation to get things started for her nephew and their new guest. Her wide, excited grin and eager expression almost gave a vibe that there was no other choice but to let her provide Abigail with her signature "Aunt Cass- style" hospitality.

Now Abigail looked to Hiro, a smile on her face that said that there was no use in trying to decline his aunt's offer. He sighed in resignation. She nodded towards his aunt. "Well, if you must insist, who am I to turn down an offer like that? I would love to stay for a moment and enjoy your café, Aunt Cass," Abigail agreed playfully as she gave Aunt Cass a warm smile, the latter returning the smile with excitement at getting to know her new guest.

In part, Abigail was doing it to tease the boy's apparent shyness around her and his aunt. It was like seeing a little kid be embarrassed to be with their mother while being around their classmates. Not to mention, it was rather entertaining that she could tell that his attempts to lie to Aunt Cass were so obvious. It's hard to believe that Aunt Cass would believe him at all.

But that was not only the case. She was honestly quite interested in getting to know his aunt. She could not help but enjoy her company, her kind and loving demeanor. There was a certain warmness about Aunt Cass that reminded Abigail of someone very dear to her. Someone she has long missed.

Seeing there was no way of convincing the two women, Hiro became more flustered in defeat. He was worried that Aunt Cass might make this all more uncomfortable somehow. "Ok… well, uh. I'm just going to run upstairs for a bit! Make yourself comfortable, Abigail!" Hiro exclaimed, although it was apparent, he didn't need to tell Abigail. As he was heading upstairs, he noticed Abigail and Aunt Cass seemed to be hitting it off quite naturally. Although feeling shy about this, it did make him smile to see Aunt Cass so happy to make a new acquaintance.

He rushed up to his room, quickly changing from his formal internship clothes to his more comfortable red shirt, khaki pants and his favorite blue zip-up hoodie. He was still confused on how to feel about this situation, but perhaps it would not be as awkward for him if he had extra company? He immediately looked at his laptop, his face brightening as he got his hopes up.

Hiro opened his laptop and attempted to video chat all of the gang at once. As they all arrived in the video chat, all greeting Hiro but wondering about his flustered expression. "Guys, you are not going to believe this, but Abigail just suddenly showed up to see me at Mr. Krei's office. And now… ummm… now I'm having lunch with her? Can any of you guys come along, please?"

Hiro was not even sure how to fully explain the situation or the odd sequence of events that led to her being at the Lucky Cat Café with him. They were all collectively shocked at the development, but noticed how obviously flustered the boy genius was. They haven't even heard anything about Abigail since she was rescued and being transported by paramedics. "Abigail? Like 'Abigail', Abigail?" Fred asked with genuine wonder.

"Fred, how many Abigail's do we know?" Wasabi responded. "Well I know quite a few… Well, okay… Yeah, you're right. I only know just one Abigail. But! How could I possibly forget her!? After all, she played such a key part in our 'origin story!'" Fred exclaimed.

With slight annoyance at Fred's antics, Gogo interjected, "But why did she want to see you specifically?" Hiro understood what she was alluding to, "I don't know how but she knew who I was… You know, as in the whole 'rescuing her from another dimension' thing…"

Once again, Hiro's friends were all even more shocked at the implications of this. "Ohh ohhh ohhh! This is just like the situation when Lash Looper's true identity was somehow discovered by a woman he rescued as Captain Fancy in Issue 244. He had to-" Freddy burst out with uncontrolled excitement, only to be interrupted by Wasabi. "Fred, this could be serious. But, what does she want with you, Hiro?"

"Well, she has been through a lot. Maybe she just wants to thank her rescuer personally. Right, Hiro?" Honey Lemon chimed in, concerned but notably not as alarmed as the others. At this, the others seemed to nod in agreement that this was probably the case.

"Yeah. She seems like she genuinely wants to thank me and get to know me. But even if that's the case… Mr. Krei was adamant that I keep her company and take her out or something…I'm not good at these kinds of things," Hiro admitted, his voice still pleading for his friends to help.

They didn't know what to make of her knowing Hiro's identity, but they seemed to all think that there wasn't anything to be especially alarmed of at the moment. It seems that Abigail was there to thank Hiro, as it would be understandable for her to have the desire to do so.

"Sounds like Krei set you up on a date," Gogo pointed out bluntly with a hint of teasing behind the subtle smirk. "It's not a date!" Hiro exclaimed immediately, his voice cracking with embarrassment. Gogo reassured the boy rather sharply, "Relax, you baby. Of course not, she's probably twice your age too." Hiro pouted, "Well...Can any of you please come along? I'm not particularly comfortable with getting to know strangers, especially when they're someone you rescued from a different dimension. What normal conversations can I possibly have with her? Would you be able to, Gogo?"

"Sorry, already got plans. I am sure you'll figure it all out, genius boy," Gogo responded promptly. "Really? 'Plans?' What 'plans?'" Hiro asked in disappointment but skeptical of her "plans." Gogo's eyes notably narrowed intimidatingly in her video feed, "Yes. I have plans." Hiro realized he made this mistake before and knew better than to pry into Gogo's privacy, sighing to himself as he knew he had to leave it at that. "Ok. Ok. Fine..." Lifting his hands up as if he showed he wouldn't dare push any further.

"How about you, Honey Lemon?" he asked, his hopes up that she would be able to help him. "Sorry Hiro, you know I would if I was able to. But I have to present at a gallery showing some of my art pieces at SFAI. But... It sounds like she really just wants to show her appreciation to you and get to know you. I'm sure it will be ok, Hiro!" Honey Lemon apologized but tried to reassure the young boy as her voice became increasingly upbeat and hopeful to try to reassure the boy. "Okay... I understand," he sighed, noting that this wasn't boding well.

"Wasabi?" Hiro eyes shifted to the video feed of Wasabi, who appeared to be at an SFIT lab. "Sorry, little man. Professor Granville asked me to come work on a special project and I don't want to upset her if I cancelled suddenly. She… scares me..." Wasabi responded, shuddering as he looked around to be sure that Professor Granville was not around to hear him say that. Hiro sighed more audibly, smacking his forehead, "Alright."

Hiro placed his last hopes in Fred. He understood the others had obligations of some sort, but he was hoping that his eccentric friend would be available as he often is. "Fred? You're free, right?" Fred pursed his lips, his expression showing that he was thinking if he could help. "I'm sorry, my little dude. I would but my mom is making me go with her to a stuffy party to talk to stuffy people about stuffy… stuff. My mom would never let me get out of it. But don't worry, when Lash Looper had to meet with his secret admirer for a date-"

"Okay. Okay. I get it," Hiro sighed, grudgingly accepting that he was stuck in this predicament without them. Suddenly, a cacophony of apologies and attempts to encourage the boy rang out before they left to their "plans." "Don't worry Hiro, it will go just fine." "Lash Looper was able to become friends with her-" "Stop whining, woman up." "You got this, little man! Word of advice, wear deodorant."

Almost simultaneously, they all said "Okay, bye!' and they all disconnected from the video chat. "Unbelievable," Hiro muttered to himself, sighing as he lay his head down on his desk. He was really hoping at least one of them would be able to keep him company and make him feel less uncomfortable.

Despite his confident and upbeat attitude, being the youngest in school or anywhere for that matter, never made it easy for him to learn how to socialize. It's not that he cannot get along with people or make friends, it's just that he's not used to socializing with new people on his own. Tadashi always helped him with that. In fact, that's how he even met and got close to the gang in the first place. But spending time with a female on your own, that was certainly Tadashi's domain and not his.

His head still heavily resting on his desk. He began to bang his head a few times, with no attempt at hitting it softly. Until he stopped and rubbed his forehead. "Oww…"

Suddenly, he heard the familiar startup sound coming from the red box in the room. Shortly after, a large, white marshmallow-looking robot inflated and emerged from his red charging port near the staircase entrance. Hiro raised his head to see his friend "waking up."

"/I was alerted to the need for medical attention when you said, 'Oww.' Hiro, you appear to be in distress./" the robotic healthcare companion indicated with concern for the boy. Hiro looked up at his friend as he rubbed his forehead tenderly, shooting the robot a small smile as he answered sarcastically, "Physical or emotional?"

Baymax looked at his primary patient, taking a moment to scan him. "/You have a minor irritation and redness of your forehead from minor trauma. Hitting your forehead on a desk is hazardous for your health./" the robot advised with a finger lifted to make the point. A screen appeared on the robot, having a colorful cartoon image displaying a human figure banging its head and another figure indicating a red spot on its forehead.

"Sorry, buddy. I guess just a bit flustered is all," Hiro apologized for causing Baymax concern. The marshmallow-shaped robot waddled towards Hiro, placing his hand over the boy's head and patting him. "/There. There./" The boy smiled at him as he lightly brushed the robot's hand away.

"/Hiro, you appear to have elevated levels of anxiety. It is advised to try to relax and take deep breaths./" the healthcare companion recommended. "Anxiety? It's what anyone would get, right? Especially if they suddenly met the person they rescued, found out they knew their secret identity and now they have to spend the day with them while knowing so little about them. That's natural, right?"

"/Social anxiety can make it difficult for new interpersonal connections. It can help to have friends accompanying you that you are more comfortable with, to reduce anxiety symptoms./" Baymax attempted to inform the boy.

"Yup. I already tried that, buddy. But... that's what I got you for!" the boy genius smiled as he poked his friend's marshmallow belly. The boy was relieved that at least he really would not have to go about this alone, having his robot companion along with him.

The healthcare companion tilted his head, simply blinking as his optic lenses shuttered momentarily. "/All right. I will do my best to reduce situations causing social anxiety./" the robot simply responded. Hiro smiled at his companion. "Guess it's just you and me, buddy. Besides... I think she would really like to meet you too. C'mon, Baymax. Let's go downstairs."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I found writing this chapter a bit hard to be honest. But I would like to reiterate that I do not intend to romantically ship Hiro and Abigail, the dynamic between them will grow but not in that way. Please hang tight, that's not a direction I am exploring in this series. Simply that her character is playful and teasing at her amusement and she is continuing off of Mr. Krei's offhand joke that flustered Hiro. And Gogo and even Wasabi have been known to tease Hiro in that same regard on occasion.
> 
> Some folks would ship them as they would Hiro and Gogo, and no disrespect to them, but I see more of an older sister dynamic growing for the slightly older women in Hiro's life. And Hiro can be cocky and confident, but I imagine in the social domain outside of Tadashi and BH6 crew, is still rather underdeveloped and makes him easily flustered. Hence, why Baymax keys into it as social anxiety than anything else.


	6. Connections Beneath the Surface

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail experiences great hospitality, "Aunt Cass-style"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes: Thanks for the comments, I appreciate the feedback and it helps me to adjust the finer points of this series. This one is another long one, but I hope you enjoy it!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.

Chapter 6: Connections Beneath the Surface

Hiro walked down the stairs of his Victorian-style home above the Japanese-inspired café, Baymax slowly waddling behind him from his bedroom at the top floor. As he walked down and towards the area that transitioned into the café, he immediately saw Abigail with an incredulous and shy look as she raised her hands in disbelief. Aunt Cass was fervently moving back and forth from the kitchen to Abigail's table. The amount of food and snacks was becoming staggeringly overwhelming for the young woman who maintained a smile to appease Aunt Cass.

Abigail looked to Hiro, with eyes that pleaded for help. Hiro smirked at her, oddly satisfied to see the tables turn and see her flustered for a change by Aunt Cass' famous hospitality. Abigail noticed this and narrowed her eyes at the boy, almost saying that he had better not tell her he was right. "Good, Hiro! You're here. Ummm… I think I'm going to need your help finishing this…" Abigail admitted, looking back to Aunt Cass who was at the cash register tending to a customer. Aunt Cass quickly shot Abigail a wide, exaggerated grin with her hand outstretched towards Abigail, thumbs up triumphantly and proud of her work.

Abigail smiled back and forcibly returned a thumbs up at her. "Looks like you got what you asked for," Hiro commented snidely, smirking at Abigail's disbelief at Aunt Cass' boundless enthusiasm and borderline insane hospitality. She gave him a look of playful annoyance, "Yeah, got a little more than I bargained for. More like, got a whole lot more." Hiro chuckled, now looking down at the table to see that Aunt Cass really outdid herself.

The table was assorted with a colorful variety of Japanese fusion-inspired recipes. Hiro got excited since he had not seen these before, noting that Aunt Cass always experimented and tried out new recipes. It was certainly why so many people around San Fransokyo would flock to the Lucky Cat Café. "Hiro, sit, sit! I think you are going to love these!" Aunt Cass snuck up behind Hiro, briefly startling him and sitting him into a seat. Abigail chuckled, whispering to him, "You're in this, too."

Aunt Cass was absolutely excited to introduce her new recipes, first pointing towards a plate with several fried rice balls. "These are my 'Piggy Pork Belly Onigiri,' with slivers of pork belly neatly tucked away in a rice ball and fried to perfection. A wonderful on-the-go snack I'll make for your school days, Hiro."

She moved onto towards a seaweed-wrapped rice 'sandwich' that had an orange sauce covering chicken in it. "I hope you love a bit of spiciness, Abigail. This is my 'S.M.C. Onigirazu' which stands for Sriracha Mayo and Chicken," she squealed suddenly grabbed Abigail's shoulders in her excitement. Abigail chuckled timidly and nodded her head vehemently. "For Abigail, a cup of my world famous 'Maneki- Neko cat'uccino,'" she pointed towards a coffee cup with a decorative and detailed "Maneki-Neko" cat formed by the top layer of cream. "For you, Hiro. A healthy strawberry kiwi smoothie," she nudged a red and green smoothie towards her nephew enthusiastically.

"And last but not least, dessert! My 'macaron rainbow deluxe!'" Aunt Cass paused to take a breath, preparing to explain each flavor with rapid-fire intensity. "This is salted caramel, vanilla lavender, custard, cinnamon, milk tea, strawberry milk and mocha. Let me know if you love them, I also have macaron ice cream sandwhiches," Abigail and Hiro's eyes were collectively wide as they smiled forcibly at Aunt Cass' energy, as she identified each colored flavor by heart.

"/You should breathe now, Aunt Cass,/" a robotic voice chimed in, catching their attention as the white marshmallow robot waddled from the entrance of the house into the cafe. Baymax looked at the doorway, turning sideways to shuffle past the opening, and turned forward so he could waddle over towards Hiro, Abigail and Aunt Cass. Abigail looked at the huggable robot, smiling warmly at the pleasant surprise. "Hey Baymax! Had a good nap?" Aunt Cass greeted him, referring to his charging in Hiro's room.

"/Yes. My battery charge is at full capacity./" Baymax responded. The healthcare robot looked towards Abigail, he head tilted and his 'eyes' blinked audibly. He stepped forward, waving his hand in a circular manner as a greeting gesture, "/Hello, I am Baymax. Your personal healthcare companion./" Abigail stood up and walked towards the robot to greet it warmly, reaching her hand forward to shake his hand "Hello, Baymax. It's good to see you, again."

"It is good to see you are doing well and you are in good health, Ms. Abigail," the robot responded, looking at Abigail's hand in a puzzling manner but reaching his hand forward to mirror her. Abigail chuckled and warmly shook the hand of her second rescuer. "Oh, you too have met before?" Aunt Cass asked, happy to see them interact.

"Oh, yeah! Ummm… A while back, actually!" Hiro stammered, trying to hide the fact that Baymax met her during her rescue. Aunt Cass briefly wondered how that worked, but dismissed it. "Well, I'm glad you guys got to see each other again. But please, sit, sit, sit and enjoy! Let me know if you want anything else, I have more things I can bring out for you if you'd like to try," Aunt Cass exclaimed, quickly startling Abigail as she grabbed her shoulders and guided Abigail back to her seat.

"Oh, thank you, Aunt Cass. I think you gave us plenty to work on for now though," Abigail laughed nervously, looking down at the assortment of goodies strewn throughout their table. "Well… ladies first," Hiro teased, his hand gesturing towards the food in a mockingly "gentleman- like" manner. "Hey, you're helping me with this. Just you and me, Baymax can't help here," Abigail joked, lightly punching Hiro playfully in the arm. Hiro laughed, wondering to himself, What is it with girls and punching me in the arm?

"/My apologies. I am a robot,/" the healthcare companion pointed out, acknowledging his obvious lack of the need to eat. But he waddled towards one of the seats between Abigail and Hiro, awkwardly shifting it around to get it just right so that he could sit on it. Hiro smiled at his companion as Abigail was thoroughly amused at the unintentionally comical spectacle.

They began to get to work on everything Aunt Cass laid out for them, sampling each and responding favorably to each one that they tried. Abigail smiled happily, realizing that each recipe was carefully crafted with creative thought and passion. For Hiro, he was actually relieved that there was so much food to keep them pre-occupied for a while. Aunt Cass' food was certainly meant to be enjoyed but it also allowed him to not need to awkwardly try to make conversation with Abigail.

But, even though there was a lot of food, they could not bring themselves to finish it all and were beginning to slow down considerably. Hiro began to feel more anxious and self-conscious, not quite sure what to talk to Abigail about. He certainly had a lot of questions, like why is she back in San Fransokyo after all this time and how she happened to know his identity. But he did not know how to approach those questions and in this setting, with Aunt Cass hovering around, he could not even think to ask.

Baymax, who was monitoring Hiro, picked up on his elevated anxiety levels. The robot lifted his hand to make a point, "/Good conversational starters for new social interactions include: where you are from, hobbies, interests, work-/" Various images flashed on his front side, showing geographical maps, several sports or musical notes, an office desk, among many others to illustrate his point. Hiro let out an uneasy laugh, appreciating the healthcare companion's attempt to help. But perhaps, due to his obvious nature and lack of subtlety, Hiro realized that having Baymax around to ease the situation might have backfired. "Thanks, Baymax," Hiro laughed, embarrassedly with sarcastic gratitude. "/You are welcome, Hiro,/" the robot responded, oblivious to causing Hiro more embarrassment. Abigail smiled at her two rescuers, chuckling at their wholesome interactions. She was happy to get to see Baymax with Hiro.

"So… Abigail. Ummm… what do you like to do?" Hiro awkwardly tried to salvage the situation, although somewhat taking a cue from Baymax. Abigail smiled, playing along with him. "I actually love to travel to different parts of the world or around the country. I like to explore other cities, cultures and environments. Something I got from my mom, I guess. Have you been outside the country yet?" she inquired curiously. "Oh, me? No, no. no. I've never even been outside of San Fransokyo! Well, maybe Muirahara woods but I'm… let's just say I'm not particularly a fan of the outdoors," the young boy admitted, remembering his experiences being trapped out there with Fred as they followed Gogo there. The thought of the bugs and being swept away by the river made him shudder.

"Really? That's actually a shame. But I get it, when I was little, San Fransokyo was my home and it was all I really knew. But when I got old enough, my mother took me on some of her travels. There is so much more to see in the world, as diverse as San Fransokyo is… it's still it's own bubble and its liberating to see what else is out there. I love the outdoors, but I admit it's not the only thing you can explore. Seeing other countries, seeing their culture and celebrating their differences and appreciating your similarities… I really hope you do get to travel sometime. And I get it, SFIT will challenge you to explore your talents. But seeing the world may open your mind even more, I'm curious what it would do for your already big brain," Abigail spoke very passionately, recounting what traveling meant to her.

She earnestly wanted Hiro to experience that same feeling, to which Hiro had actually never considered since San Fransokyo was all he really knew in terms of his environment and culture-wise. He had to admit, what she said was enticing and convincing enough for him to perhaps consider it in the future. Perhaps go travel with the gang, a vacation trip might be exactly what they needed away from their stresses at school and constantly keeping the city safe. He appreciated her advice as he nodded to her in agreeance.

"You told Aunt Cass that you worked on special projects overseas, is that true?" Hiro inquired, recalling that she did say she was traveling a lot. Abigail briefly looked around to see who could listen, especially for Aunt Cass. "Yes, although not for Krei Tech Industries. I've been with other government agencies and private military technology contractors, doing some consulting work and test piloting special projects," she informed Hiro on her recent work.

"My last project was perhaps my favorite. I test piloted for Tanaka-Ackerman Air Industries' Project APOLLO. I honestly would love to tell you what it entailed but only a few folks are supposed to be privy to it," she admitted, piquing the boy's interest having heard of the company before.

"Really? Well, I could keep a secret," The boy tried to goad her to talk more about it. Abigail's eyes narrowed at him, snidely commenting, "You think you're good at keeping secrets?" Hiro raised his hands in feigned indignation, then casually saying with cocky confidence, "Got me there, but I don't need clearance to access what I want."

Abigail raised her eyebrows, amused at his confidence in hacking through private and military systems. Thing is, she believed him, since he was a boy of many hidden talents. Not to mention she didn't care too much for the rigid culture of military and government infrastructures. "Well, if you put it that way..." she conceded, the boy's face lit up.

"Let's just say that this was a particular prototype aircraft that sought to integrate a smart A.I. with a highly-skilled pilot, such as yours truly," she smirked, hardly hiding her own confidence in her skills. She looked towards Baymax, "Don't get me wrong, artificial intelligence has come a long way. But even the military is over-reliant on automating everything, and sometimes you just can't beat old-fashion human ingenuity and skill."

"But there are things that A.I.'s can do extremely well. So you could say, it was to get the best of both worlds. A partnership between human and machine. To push the envelope of flight and combat performance," she looked to Hiro and his healthcare companion, knowing he could relate.

The boy smiled, not only interested to see Abigail speak about something she is passionate about. But also to see that they shared a common interest, not just in flying but also the partnership developed between them and technology. He nodded, looking towards Baymax and understanding the bond they've grown to share.

"That's really impressive work. I know what you mean. You've been a pilot for awhile, then? Have you always wanted to fly?" the boy asked, relieved that they shared similar interests. "Yes, I started piloting on top of my schoolwork at SFIT. It was a challenge doing both, but I've always wanted to fly. There's just nothing else like it, that feeling of absolute freedom."

"Seems that's something Baymax and I share with you. When I first flew with Baymax, immediately I knew... that I was never going to take the bus again," The boy joked, remembering his first flight with Baymax's 2.0 armor upgrade.

They both got startled when Aunt Cass chimed in, thankfully only hearing the tail end of their conversation. "What's wrong with taking the bus, Hiro?" The boy laughed uneasily, trying to explain, "Well, you know. They're dirty and cramped up, and now I can drive a scooter. Yeah... that's why I don't take the bus anymore."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Aunt Cass agreed, matter-of-factly. Hiro stifled his sigh of relief.

"Smooth…" Abigail whispered. "Oh, Abigail. I'm glad you seem to like spicy. I was hoping you'd be able to join us for dinner tonight, I'm trying a new recipe along with my famous hot wings. I would love it if you would stay for dinner," Aunt Cass pleaded excitedly, biting her lip in anticipation of Abigail's response. Abigail became a bit flustered, realizing this would probably a ten-course meal of some sort. But she knew that she could not refuse, Aunt Cass' welcoming spirit was entrancing. Hiro and Baymax both looked at Abigail, Hiro's smug expression saying, "Look what you got yourself into."

"Y-Yes, I would love to join you guys tonight, thanks Aunt Cass!" Abigail replied, causing Aunt Cass to get more excited. "Great! A little word of warning, this will be spicy to the next level! The kind that will 'melt your face off!'" Aunt Cass warned, obviously looking forward to having their guest over tonight. "I look forward to it!" Abigail exclaimed, attempting to match Aunt Cass' level of excitement.

Abigail looked to Hiro, who was both flustered but smug at the situation she got into. There was no escaping the warmth of Aunt Cass. "Well, I think we should get back to work, right Hiro? Thank you for the delicious lunch… assortment!" Amused that she took a cue from him, Hiro played along, "Yeah, let's get back to work! Thanks, love you Aunt Cass. See you later!" The two rushed out of the café while dragging Baymax, waving goodbye to Aunt Cass. "Okay, see you guys tonight! Keep up the great work! Don't work too hard!" she yelled to them as they went outside to get to Hiro's garage.

"Well, you can't say I tried to save you from that. My aunt can be… very welcoming, to say the least," Hiro laughed as they got to Hiro's garage door. "Yeah, no kidding. So much energy! But she is really fun to be around," Abigail admitted, still very pleased to meet his aunt. "Well, you got to tell me a bit about your work. How about I show you some of mine?" Hiro said as he lifted the garage door up, revealing their garage that was cluttered with an array of various inventions, tools and machines as its own lab setup. Abigail walked in, taking in the whole scene. Baymax waddled in behind them. When Hiro closed the garage door, she admired the traditional Japanese artwork painted on it.

"I have something I would like you to see. I've been designing it for one of my team members," Hiro caught her attention, as he moved to a desk and revealed a secret compartment. He covered his hand to block it while he input a passcode, opening the compartment and reaching into it. He seemed to grab an object, but when he lifted it out of the compartment, it appeared that he was carrying nothing.

Abigail's eyebrow furled, curious if he was trying to mess with her. It looked like he was miming and manipulating an imaginary object. "Ummm…. It's very… light? Hate to break it to you, but air doesn't need to be reinvented," she joked, not sure what to make of the young boy's 'invention.' Hiro smirked at her, lifting the invisible object and motioning it as if he was putting on a helmet.

Suddenly, Hiro's head seemed to disappear, and his arms flailed around as if he lost his head. Abigail's eyes widened, confused and concerned, she reached out to grab Hiro's seemingly invisible head. "Wait, what did you just-" she exclaimed, feeling her hands grasp what felt like a large helmet. Suddenly, the object came into view, revealing what looked like a blue chameleon's face. It was rather large, but it was comical to see it on the young boy who made it look like a bobblehead. Abigail chuckled at the sight but was genuinely impressed.

"Pretty sick, huh?" Hiro beamed, as he took off the chameleon helmet. "While Krei Tech does have its 'flexible display technology' fabric that can make objects nearly invisible, I have opted to create a more robust and versatile optic camouflage system that's integrated into a suit." Abigail placed her hand on her hip, smiling at the boy, "That's some impressive tech, I could see how this could be useful for surveillance and reconnaissance operations. Criminals wouldn't even see you coming."

"Exactly! Of course, I'm not trying to hide just heads!" the boy exclaimed, happily hopping on his rolling seat and swinging himself towards a computer monitor. He pulled up a holographic display, the image of a full chameleon suit and the schematics of his optic camouflage system appeared. "I'm still adding more features as I put it together for my team member. I know he's going to have a blast when it's done," the boy looked proudly at his work in progress. "I'm impressed, kid. What else are you working on?" Abigail inquired, happy to see more of his personal projects.

"Glad you asked! Now, usually in a fight I have to rely on working with Baymax. But… things have been pretty hairy out there and I have to hold my own. So, I've been developing and refining these," Hiro said, reaching into the compartment to pull out a small black disk. Handing it to Abigail, who moved it around to see its features. Hiro then pulled out a purple gauntlet, Abigail recognized it as a part of his armor, "It's a portable magnetic device, I've already used it with success in the field. But I am modifying them so I can easily adjust their intensity on the fly and increase the distance I can eject them out to. Not to mention, make it more adhesive so I can place them in any angle," the young genius donned his purple gauntlet. "Can I see it at work?" Abigail asked, ready to see the device in action.

"Of course!" the boy smirked, aiming his fist up towards the middle ceiling of the garage. The gauntlet launched one of the disk devices, attaching itself to the ceiling with precision. "I would like to show you it's full strength, but I don't want to clean up the mess it would make. But, let's give it a little juice." Baymax looked up at the disk, blinking at it, "/Hiro, I don't think juice would be advised for your device./" Abigail and Hiro chuckled, "Just an expression, buddy. Here we go!"

Hiro placed his other hand along the gauntlet, manipulating a small control interface and adjusting the strength of the now activated magnetic device. Metallic objects throughout the garage began to be attracted towards the middle of the garage. "Let's just try a little more," he said, adjusting it further. Suddenly, Baymax flew up towards the ceiling and stuck to the device, looking down at Hiro and Abigail. "/Oh./" the robot simply said, blinking as he visibly wondered how to get back down. The boy tried to ease his robot companion down, attempting to lower the magnetic strength slowly. But Baymax fell to the floor, bouncing up to land on his bottom. "Sorry, buddy," Hiro winced, a bit embarrassed at demonstrating his device on Baymax. But Abigail simply laughed.

The young genius continued to show his projects to Abigail, his enthusiasm was contagious. She enjoyed watching the boy so excited of his work, from his own personal crime-fighting projects including a prototype upgrade for Honey Lemon's chem-purse that had a more precise trajectory system. They even discussed some of his school projects. She would complement his ingenuity, even discussing how she approached certain projects at SFIT when she attended. In the privacy of his garage, she was able to also share a video feed of one of her test flights. The two were sharing their pride and passion for their work, but it had also become apparent to Abigail that the young boy was becoming notably more comfortable in his interactions with her. Similarly, Hiro was relieved to feel less anxiety in realizing that they shared common interests and shared their work together.

Before long, time would pass, and it was dinner time. Hiro, Abigail and Baymax worked their way up the stairs of the Victorian house to find Aunt Cass hard at work preparing their dinner meals. "Hiro! Abigail! Right on time!" Aunt Cass welcomed them, her hands guiding them towards their seats at the dining table. They smiled at each other, ready for a massive dinner. "I hope you're ready for the heat!" she exclaimed, coming in with a plate full of her famous "melt your face off" chicken wings. "And! You guys will have the honor of trying my new recipe, my Mentaiko Carbonara pasta!" The two looked in awe, seeing an Italian-Japanese fusion dish, with stacks of pasta covered in native Japanese spices and a buttery sauce. They smiled as they thanked Aunt Cass for the home-cooked dinner. Abigail felt a sense of welcome belonging, the love shared among family. It was something she had long missed, and was grateful to share the moment with Aunt Cass and her two rescuers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: This was a long and fun chapter to write, I tried to keep it more lighthearted and increase their interactions. Although it honestly felt like it could keep going on and I would like to move it forward towards chapters I am excited to bring out. I did not want to keep it running too long, so my apologies if the end felt rushed and less descriptive. But I do like the friendship that is growing between Abigail and Hiro, and hope that you enjoy it as well. Stay tuned!
> 
> PS. Aunt Cass' recipes, while some stylized with Aunt Cass-style names, are inspired by actual Japanese fusion recipes or entrees offered at actual restaurants. I honestly want to try them or make them myself. Look them up when you get a chance. Or even better, try them out!


	7. A Good Man, A Good Kid

Chapter 7: A Good Man, A Good Kid

Overall, the dinner was a pleasant experience for them within the Hamada household. Aunt Cass took their dishes and washed them in the kitchen sink. She immediately refused any attempts by Abigail or Hiro to help her clean up. Suddenly, Baymax seemed to become disoriented and swayed back and forth. Noting that Baymax was nearing his low battery state, Hiro remembered that he had to make some adjustments to get Baymax running optimally. Among the kinks from the hasty repairs they made after their fight with Momokase was that his battery life was erratically shortened. His systems and programs seemed to be running inefficiently and expediting his battery drain. "Looks like it's time to get you to bed, buddy," the boy walked over, moving under Baymax's arm to support the comically disoriented robot.

"/Great idea! This time, I'll use your bed… and- you can stay on my charger tonight./" the healthcare companion fumbled, Hiro trying his best to keep him up on his shoulders to guide him.

Abigail laughed heartily, completely amused at seeing the robot act uncharacteristically expressive and disoriented. Of course, the boy was perhaps too young to experience alcohol or to be around anyone drunk, but Baymax seemed to be able to give him the classic college experience of helping a disoriented friend get to bed. "You need any help getting him up there?" she offered, seeing the young boy struggle to guide the battery-drained robot. "No, no… I got him, he's like this every now and then," Hiro laughed uneasily, trying to stop his healthcare companion from toppling over.

Baymax looked towards Abigail, "Hey-Hello, I am Baymax… your personal companion- of health… for care… On a scale from ten to one… how would rate your- chicken wings./"

Abigail chuckled, "That's going to have to be a ten." Baymax suddenly perked up, raising his hand up, "/You are correct!...Your prize is… Sorry, I ran out of lollipops./" The disoriented robot patted himself as if he was looking for the lollipop, his hands searching and ending up patting Hiro's face to his annoyance. "Ok, buddy. Let's keep it together. Time for you to go sleep now."

"/Okay, if you say so, Hiro… but I'm not even in bed yet./" the robot stammered, before he suddenly went completely deadweight and began to "snore." The young boy yelped at his sudden change in weight as the robot no longer supported himself. "No, not yet, Baymax!" He dragged the robot along, shortly looking back towards Abigail and Aunt Cass. Abigail was ready to help, but Hiro seemed adamant that he could take care of his friend himself. "Thanks for the… food, Aunt Cass! I'll… be back down Abigail, just going to charge Baymax and fix his… uhhh… issues," Hiro exclaimed as he attempted to catch his breath, dragging the tired Baymax with him.

Abigail laughed at the spectacle, another amusing characteristic she never expected of her rescuers. As the boy left to drag his robot companion upstairs, Abigail eyes trailed across the Hamada residence. Several pictures of their family were strewn throughout the walls. She quickly noticed a family photograph on the wall and quickly found her gaze locked on it. It was a picture of Aunt Cass with two younger-looking Hamada brothers. It was a heartwarming photograph, seeing them as a whole family. She looked at the photograph of young Tadashi. Suddenly, she experienced growing feelings of pain, sadness and guilt welled within her. She knew this would be a hard aspect of being around Hiro and Aunt Cass, in the home they all had once lived in together with Tadashi. She walked over, her hand hovering over the photograph.

"He always believed in Hiro, looked out for him. He would be so proud to see all that his brother has accomplished," Aunt Cass chimed in suddenly to Abigail's surprise, walking back in the dining area after cleaning the dishes. "Aunt Cass… I'm truly sorry for your loss," Abigail found it hard to find the right words, there was so much she wanted to apologize for but couldn't. Aunt Cass doesn't even know that she is the daughter of the man who inadvertently caused Tadashi's death, the very same man that wanted to mentor him.

"Thank you. It still… hurts. And I miss him, Hiro misses him. But I always want to be strong for Hiro. We've… he's been through a lot throughout his whole life. He was only three when their father and mother… my sister… passed away in a tragic accident. And now Tadashi is with them. He's all I have left," Aunt Cass confessed somberly, her tone distinctly softer and melancholic than her usual upbeat demeanor. As she spoke, Abigail noticed that Aunt Cass was fidgeting with her silver-turquoise necklace, a keepsake of her late sister and the boys' mother. It was something she would never be without.

"But Tadashi would be so proud of him. He always wanted Hiro to go to his school. And now Tadashi's friends are close to him. And Baymax… it's like Tadashi continues to watch over him, even now. I'm just happy to see my nephew continuing with his life like Tadashi would have wanted," Aunt Cass spoke warmly, almost trying to reassure Abigail that things would be okay.

But she recalled the deep depression Hiro fell into shortly after Tadashi's passing, even when she had a difficult time coping she tried to be upbeat and strong for Hiro. Especially when he had lost all interest in anything, let alone being able to take care of himself. Baymax changed all of that for the better.

"He was a kind and bright young man, I could tell that he wanted to change the world and help people with his inventions, it's certainly why he never gave up working on Baymax," Abigail chimed in, Aunt Cass looked to her in surprise as she realized she was referring to Tadashi. "Did you know him, personally?" Aunt Cass wondered, a small smile on her face.

"Yes, I met him a several times when he was just starting to attend SFIT. I was visiting… an old professor of mine. My professor introduced me to him, he spoke highly of Tadashi and what he was already accomplishing. He was a good young man, it was easy to get along with him. Although, I wish I had seen him more often," Abigail explained, being wary of mentioning her father.

But Aunt Cass was pleasantly surprised at this and touched to hear about her late nephew, "Ever since he was a young boy, he was always very kindhearted and wanted to help people. Helping raise Hiro and looking after him, it really nurtured a caring and protective side of him. I am glad that you got to know him personally, he had a way of touching people's lives whether he knew it or not." The two women smiled warmly to each other in their candid moment. Suddenly, Abigail looked at their clock, "Well, unfortunately it is getting late and I should get going. But, truly, thank you for all of your hospitality, Aunt Cass. For both lunch and dinner, I hope you'll allow me to return the favor one day."

"It was my pleasure, Abigail. Any friend of Hiro's and Tadashi's is welcome in this home. But, where will you be staying while you are back in San Fransokyo? Do you still have a place here?" Aunt Cass inquired. "Not anymore, not for quite awhile actually. I was going to get a hotel-" Abigail responded but quickly cut off by the sudden excited expression of Aunt Cass. "Nonsense, you can stay here! You'd have to get a ride and then check in, that's too much of a hassle. I mean it, you are welcome in this home. If you are okay with sleeping on a couch of course, but please, I insist!" Aunt Cass offered with her usual enthusiasm and the implication that Abigail had no choice but to accept the offer.

Abigail was taken aback by the sudden offer, but just like the café brunch and home dinner, there was no way she could decline Aunt Cass' welcoming invitations. "Well, I don't think you would accept any other answer but 'yes.' If you must insist, I would love to stay over if that's okay with Hiro too?" Abigail conceded, but wanted to make sure she was not overstepping or being intrusive.

"Well, it's my house so if he isn't, then that's a bummer for him. You are my honored guest," Aunt Cass mused with certainty that Abigail was welcome to stay. "Thank you, Aunt Cass. I really appreciate everything you have done for me. I'll still run it by him though," Abigail admitted shyly with a laugh. "Well, suit yourself. But you're staying here regardless. Ask him for some blankets too while you're at it, he has no say in this. I understand you don't have everything so I'll leave you some of my clothes you can borrow," Aunt Cass quipped playfully as she walked towards her bedroom door.

Mochi quietly walked towards Abigail and cuddled along her leg. "I mean it, a friend of Hiro's and Tadashi's is welcome here. And it looks like Mochi voted you stay, so it doesn't matter what my nephew chooses, that's two against one… And Abigail, it really is a pleasure to have you over. Please, make yourself feel at home. Goodnight." Abigail petted Mochi, "Thank you for having me, Aunt Cass. Really. Have a goodnight too." Aunt Cass smiled and nodded at Abigail, then closed her door to turn in for the night. Abigail noted again that she truly did have the same sweet warmth and boundless energy as Abigail's mother. Abigail longed to make it up to her, not just for her hospitality but also for Tadashi.

Abigail slowly walked up the staircase with Mochi following her closely. Before she would be in view of Hiro's room, she knocked on the wall as a courtesy. "Hey, Hiro. Is it okay if I come up?" she announced, awaiting his response. "Oh, Abigail. Yeah… uhhh… you could come in.." the boy responded, a bit embarrassed that he could not clean up his room before.

"Sorry, got caught up working on this. Was just finishing up some last fixes on Baymax. And… umm… sorry for the mess," Hiro stammered, Abigail noticing his embarrassment at his room. "That's ok, I wasn't exactly the neatest fourteen-year-old either," Abigail chuckled as she looked around the boy genius' room. The tiffany blue walls were strewn with various posters of cartoon robots and science symposium flyers. The cupboards displaying a variety of books and robot figures, underneath it was a desk covered with blueprints, tools and schematics around Hiro's desktop computer. "You're such a boy, though," she commented, amused at his choice of decorations and the obvious organized chaos the young genius thrives in.

"Yeah…" Hiro laughed uneasily, looking away from Abigail to finish his work on a computer tablet and hide his embarrassment. Abigail laughed lightly, her gaze continuing to scan the room until she noted one side of it being demarcated by a Japanese-style shoji panel screen divider. This side was notably more organized, strewn with various textbooks and a neatly made bed. Abigail quickly realized this was Tadashi's side of the room, untouched and well-kept, just as he had left it. Her expression softened as she looked towards Hiro.

By now, the boy genius was finishing up his adjustments. From a nearby device's port on his desk, she noticed a green chip slowly eject for Hiro to grab. The green chip had a distinct robotic nurse icon and legibly shown on it, the handwritten label "Tadashi Hamada." Hiro took the chip and walked towards the charging Baymax who was "asleep." He pressed the access port for it to open, placing the chip in and closing the port. "And that, should do it," he said, pleased with his companion being fixed completely from his ordeal against Momokase.

He was smiling at his sleeping companion, when he heard Abigail suddenly chime in, "Tadashi never gave up on Baymax. He worked tirelessly on programming all of those medical procedures and coding Baymax to be fully functional. It's great to see his work come together." Hiro's eyes widened, turning his head with surprise, looking at Abigail as she leaned casually to rest on his desk. "You knew… my brother?" he asked, somewhat incredulously but shocked at the revelation.

"I met him several times whenever I went to visit… my father… at the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab. He introduced me to Tadashi, I met him while he was doing his test trials to get Baymax working. It was incredible, he was so passionate and continued despite failure after failure. But he never seemed to lose hope, even if the tests would go wrong," Abigail looked down, her expression both soft yet appearing like she was trying to remember a far-off memory. She chuckled as she looked up to smile at the sleeping Baymax, "Sometimes I was lucky enough to visit and see him conducting one of his tests. Which was it? Maybe like test #62 or #63? Around there. Baymax's hug function was on overdrive, Tadashi had to fight to escape from him and shut down the test. It was funny seeing him try to slip out of his hug, he kept yelling for help so I tried to pull him out for a while. You wouldn't believe how strong Baymax was."

Hiro laughed heartily, imagining the scene in his mind with a smile. The thought of his brother having to try to escape from Baymax's hug was comical and yet heartwarming. He knew full well how strongly Baymax could keep you in his hug, one time he overclocked the robot and Baymax was too amped up to let the boy go. But he admitted, he hasn't brought himself to watch all of Tadashi's test trials. He saved them for the occasions he especially missed his older brother, as a way to comfort him with his presence. "So, you were friends with my brother?" he asked, wanting to know more about her relationship with Tadashi.

"Yes, you could say that. Although we only saw each other on the occasion that I was back in the city. Looking back, I wish I had came back more often. Your brother… he was such an easygoing young man, we got along really well right away. I respected him. Although, I wish I had gotten to spend more time to get to know him even better," Abigail admitted, looking back at those days. "I never got to see his final test, but I am truly lucky to meet his creation in its completion. He had a dream to help people, and through you and Baymax, his dream continues to be realized." Hiro smiled, he was genuinely touched by her words and her sentiment behind Tadashi and Baymax.

"But I understand, this Baymax is not quite the same one he created… Although, programming-wise he is, of course. Between his memories, protocols and personality, he is still Tadashi's Baymax in a way but…" she stated softly, but Hiro continued her thought. "That Baymax rests in that strange place we escaped, thanks to him…" Hiro said as he walked up to the sleeping Baymax, placing his hand on him.

"The Baymax that Tadashi built himself, that one is no longer with us. But Baymax is still here… Tadashi is still here," Hiro spoke softly, reassuring himself that their presence never truly left. "I am sorry… that he did not make it back because of me… and that my being stranded in that dimension, caused all of these things to happen. My father, in his grief… hurting you…Tadashi…" Abigail stammered, her voice unsteady as emotions were making it difficult to find the right words she wished she could express to Hiro. Seeing the photographs of Tadashi, seeing his empty side of his room and meeting his creation, Baymax… it all suddenly flooded her with the emotions she wanted to keep in check around Hiro. She cursed at herself, knowing that this isn't how she intended to approach Hiro about the subject.

Hiro was speechless, his eyes were closed as he tried to hold back the pain he was ignoring ever since Abigail arrived. Her father… Tadashi's Baymax… Tadashi… no words could even begin to describe the myriad of emotions that welled within him. He and Abigail's fates were seemingly destined to be intertwined the moment Project Silent Sparrow experienced its catastrophic failure. But he could not blame Abigail for being lost to the other side, and he realized what guilt and pain she was holding onto. Feeling responsible for her father, for Tadashi… having known his brother personally, at that.

"Abigail… it does still hurt, to have lost them both. But… You are not to blame for any of this… what you experienced was terrifying and out of your control… You don't have to apologize. That pain… holding onto it so tightly won't help you heal… trust me, I know," Hiro opened his eyes, looking at the distraught Abigail. She had been playful and teasing, even encouraging at times. But at this moment, Hiro knew that her demeanor could not betray what she was truly feeling. Hiro took a deep breath, attempting to compose himself.

"Abigail, I appreciate you coming to see me. For wanting to thank me and Baymax. But it's not your fault, tragedies happen whether we play a hand in it or not. Tadashi… would've wanted me to forgive your father, he looked up to him. Someday, I hope I can, if at least to stop feeling this pain. But you aren't your father and you don't have to take responsibility for what he did out of grief…" Hiro spoke, decidedly with honest confidence felt in his voice. There was still lingering resentment towards Professor Callaghan, but he did not feel right to hold Abigail accountable for his actions. He walked up to Abigail, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder like Tadashi would do to comfort him. "You knew Tadashi, you know that he would not want you to be this way. He never wanted to hurt people, and… I don't think he would want us to hurt so much because of him. I think he would want us to be able to move forward."

Abigail took a deep breath, opening her eyes and looking down at the young boy who was ironically comforting her. An honest expression of concern and care on his face. She thought about the boy and what he's gone through. Despite his youthful appearance, he was certainly far more mature beyond his years. It was not simply because he had a nearly unrivaled intellect that surpassed many others of any age. But he had experienced loss throughout his life, she could tell these experiences hurt him deeply, but they also shaped him to be who he is. She could see Tadashi in him. She knew that he was a good kid.

Without a doubt, she was wholly convinced that she needed to do everything in her power to make things up to him and Aunt Cass. And for Tadashi… she felt the need to look after the young boy. She understood that no one can possibly take Tadashi's place, but she realized that she wanted to look after him in his stead. With Tadashi's relationship with her father, at times, she regarded Tadashi like he was her own brother. In that regard, Hiro was the little brother she wanted to care for and make things up to. But she was astounded by his comforting and mature words, she simply reached back towards the boy and embraced him. At first, he was shocked and flustered, but he hugged her back. "You really are a good kid," she spoke softly. Although he hugged her back to reassure and comfort her, Hiro did feel a sense of genuine care and understanding in her embrace. It was almost familiar, nearly like the feeling of understanding and care he felt when he received a hug from Gogo at one of his worst moments.

"Thank you, Hiro," she said as she slowly released her embrace and looked down at the boy, hands resting on his shoulders. "I wanted to come see you, to meet you, so that I could thank you for what you did for me. But I really meant it when I said that I want to return the favor. There is a lot that I wish could have gone differently. Even then, I want to make things up to you. For us to heal. I did come back to San Fransokyo for a special project that I wanted to work with you on…"

Hiro lightly smiled at her, although curious what she meant, "Abigail, I understand. I appreciate it but you really don't have to thank me-" Abigail shook her head to interject, feeling she needed to do this. With the utmost conviction and confidence she could muster, she looked at the boy with a determined expression, "Hiro, I plan to rebuild Project Silent Sparrow. I am going back there to return Tadashi's Baymax back to you and Aunt Cass."

Hiro's eyes widened at her proposal, he was almost speechless. His eyes shifted around, trying to process it all. "Abigail, that's… you don't have to… that could be dangerous-" Once again, Abigail interjected to attempt to convince him, "You risked your own life to save mine. And in your efforts, you lost Baymax. I understand full well what it is I am trying to do, that there is a risk of being lost there again. But finally meeting you, and getting to know Aunt Cass. I am convinced that I must do this, I want to do this. I owe it to Baymax. I owe it to you. I… owe it to Tadashi. Someone has to get him back, and that someone has to be me."

"Abigail…" Hiro was in shock, with such an undertaking there was so much involved and the sheer implications of it shook him to his core. But it was very apparent that she was adamant and could not be convinced otherwise. This was a lot to process for the boy. She reassured him, "I understand that this is all so sudden and that you might need some time to give it some thought. But it would mean so much to me if you worked alongside me to ensure this 'project' is successful. If at the very least, you understand why I am pursuing this. You don't have to answer now. Just… sleep on it."

Hiro took a deep breath, trying to wrap his head around all of this. He would have to think on it more. But he did honestly appreciate what she was trying to do for him and Aunt Cass, to honor Tadashi. It was very telling of her, Hiro began to understand why she did go out of her way to find him. He knew that she genuinely wanted to thank him by returning the first Baymax model. And it was a powerful sentiment. Looking up at Abigail, he nodded, "I… will think on it. But, thank you, Abigail." He suddenly came in for a hug, this time surprising Abigail. But she quickly returned it in kind. She smiled down at the young boy, grateful that he was at least considering it. They stood there for a moment, gathering their thoughts and themselves to calm down. The atmosphere becoming softer again.

"Speaking about sleeping on it… I was going to ask you but Aunt Cass says you have no say on the matter, so… I'm spending the night here," Abigail playfully broke the momentary silence. The young boy nearly jumped back, his face flushed red. She chuckled at his flustered expression, amused how quickly he turned red. "What?! She said that… Well… I mean it is late I guess and…but," the boy stammered as if he was trying to convince himself that it was the most logical solution for his guest. He admitted that he was becoming more comfortable with being around Abigail, but he would have never thought that she would be sleeping over too.

"I know this is all so sudden," she said with understanding. The boy nodded. "Yeah… everything really. Well can't exactly argue with Aunt Cass and I wouldn't kick you out of course, I'm not mean," Hiro exclaimed, his voice cracking with timid acceptance that she was here to stay. "Don't worry, I'll just be downstairs on the couch. For the most part, I'll be out of your messy hair. But, uhh, do you happen to have any blankets I could borrow?"

"Oh, ok. Yeah. Of course!" Hiro clumsily foraged around his room into a drawer to grab some extra blankets. She noticed that when he gets flustered, even his coordination seems to become disorganized. He handed her the folded blankets, barely looking up. "Here you go. Well… umm… goodnight?" the boy said in an almost confused questioning manner while at the same time wishing her the pleasantry.

Taking it from his hands, "Thanks, Hiro. Yes, goodnight." She chuckled, walking towards the stairs. "Thank you, Abigail," Hiro said softly. Shortly, she turned around looking back towards Hiro. "And, really, thank you Hiro. Please… sleep on it. We can discuss it when you are ready. You'll know where to find me… because, you know, I'll be here," Abigail said playfully, but reminding him that she wanted him to take the time to process things, to consider what she was setting out to do.

Hiro smiled, nodding at her, "Goodnight, Abigail." She smiled, walking down the stairs to the living room with Mochi getting up to go follow her down. "Goodnight, Hiro." Turning off the lights of his room, he looked at the sleeping Baymax and smiled. He thought about the possibility of having the first Baymax back, another meaningful keepsake from Tadashi. Another part of his legacy. He got into his bed, closing his eyes as he tried to process the day in its entirety. Drifting to calming sleep.


	8. No Other Angle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro and Abigail must convince Krei about their project

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: It was fun writing this chapter, took a bit to figure out how I wanted it to go but this leads to the juicy parts of the series I've been wanting to go to, ever since I started this series. I hope you enjoy the read!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.

Chapter 8: No Other Angle

A foreign world of floating purple clouds, forming swirling fractals with increasing entropy. A bright yellow stellar mass stood in the distance, sharply contrasting from its purple surroundings, its flower petal-like waves rotating and alternating around its gateway. Strewn among the clouds, concrete debris floated haphazardly.

Stranded at a halt atop a white test spacecraft, the purple-armor clad young boy pleaded with his friend. The robot companion was adamant that Hiro and Abigail could only return back home by launching them, sacrificing himself to remain in the process.

In a tender, soft manner, the robot asked for permission to launch them back to the portal and deactivate,"/Are you satisfied with your care?/"

"No! There's got to be another way. I'm not going to leave you here. I'll think of something," the young boy refused to accept that the sacrifice of his friend would be the only way to get back to their side of Silent Sparrow. His eyes shifting everywhere, pleading that this time he could think of or even see "another angle," to find a solution that was not otherwise apparent.

For someone with unbridled intellect to solve nearly every problem he encountered, it was absolutely terrifying that he could not think of another solution. Even if he tried to grab Baymax's other hand after the rocket fist is launched, it would affect their trajectory and most likely move them off course from the portal, effectively stranding all of them. Tadashi had taught his little brother to look for another angle, it had helped him to find solutions in a pinch thus far. But now, his options were inevitably narrowed to the robot's proposed plan. The reality of the situation was excruciating.

"/There is no time. Are you satisfied with your care?/" the healthcare companion tersely advised him that there was no "other angle" that could be found. The robot was programmed with the very same selfless personality that he had shared with his creator. Just like Tadashi, for Baymax, the safety and wellbeing of Hiro superseded his own. Baymax knew there was no other viable course of action under the circumstances.

"Please… No… I can't lose you too," the boy pleaded, unwilling to face another personal loss of a loved one. To lose Tadashi's healthcare companion felt like he was losing Tadashi again, but this time he would have the opportunity to say farewell. The situation was forcing him to be the one to say goodbye before their separation. But he could not bear to lose a part of his brother, his legacy and presence represented by his creation.

Blinking briefly, the robot suddenly spoke with a warm, familiar and comforting voice that was not his own. Almost as if it was the farewell that he would have wanted to have left his little brother with. It was the soft, confident and comforting voice of Tadashi, "Hiro, I will always be with you."

…

Hiro's eyes opened suddenly as he awoke from his dream, gazing at the tiffany blue ceiling walls of his bedroom. He wiped his hand along his forehead, closing his eyes as he sighed deeply. He turned his head, looking at the side of the room divided by the shoji panel screen. Scanning the side of the room preserved, almost as if he would hope that he would wake up to Tadashi laying there, seeing him on his bed reading his nerd books.

His gaze shifted towards the red container, the distinct closed eyes of his healthcare companion seen within a small window of the charging station. Abigail's proposal of returning to that strange place, a dimensional void that could even be described as hauntingly beautiful were it not for its dangerous nature. The young boy continued to reflect on such an undertaking, the risks involved to Abigail. Surely, if she was able to recreate Project Silent Sparrow and enter that world to retrieve Baymax, he could not allow her to go at it alone.

He could see in her eyes, she was determined to see this through. Someone had to help her, he had to help her. Tadashi would have. Furthermore, having the first Baymax that Tadashi machined himself would be… Hiro had never thought about the possibility of having him back. He regarded Baymax like family, like a piece of Tadashi that remained in the world and allowed his dream to help people live on. Of course, Baymax's sleight of hand allowed his green healthcare chip to cross back over with Hiro, along with it everything that made Baymax, well Baymax.

Certainly, Baymax never left in that regard as he continues on in the second model frame. But Hiro could not deny that there was an unquantifiable sentimental value with the first model. It was Tadashi's personally developed Baymax that he had spent countless hours putting together to its completion. If Tadashi's Baymax was able to return, what would that mean for him or even Aunt Cass? Thinking about the cascade of emotions he felt there in the other side, the feeling of losing Baymax, and with him, a part of Hiro had to accept that Tadashi was truly gone. The fear that his legacy would be lost to the void.

After sleeping on the matter and experiencing his dream, he had seemingly made up his mind that he would embark on this special project with Abigail. To help Tadashi's legacy and influence continue to benefit the world as he would have, this time twofold. The boy stood from his bed, promptly changing out of his sleeping attire, and walked his way downstairs. Immediately smelling the sweet aroma of blueberry pancakes.

But to his surprise, he saw Aunt Cass sitting at the table enjoying breakfast for a change and Abigail in the kitchen putting together their breakfast meal. "Good morning, Hiro! Abigail made us breakfast! Don't remember the last time I ever had breakfast I did not make myself," Aunt Cass beamed, pouring an obscene amount of syrup on her pancakes. "I figured, since you cook and bake all day at home and at the Lucky Cat, maybe you could use a quick break for your breakfast," Abigail turned her head slightly towards them, still tending to the last batch of pancakes on her pan.

Hiro smiled, happy to see Aunt Cass even brighter in the morning thanks to Abigail. Turning off the stove and bringing the last batch, Abigail walked towards the table. "Good morning, Hiro. Sleep well I hope," Abigail greeted him, motioning for him to take a seat so she could serve him a plate. Her greeting holding a hidden meaning, asking if the boy had thought about her proposed project after sleeping on it.

"Yeah, you could say that," Hiro responded, still wiping the sleepiness from his eyes. "Glad to hear it," Abigail smiled as she set down some pancakes for Hiro. The young boy and Aunt Cass was immediately amused to see a decorative face on the pancake made of fruit, but the face was distinctly made to look like Baymax's. He smiled, "Like your choice of design, thanks Abigail." Abigail nodded with pride in her work, happy to see the Hamada's enjoying her breakfast. She sat down along with them, now getting to enjoy her pancakes herself.

"/A healthy breakfast is the recommended way to begin the day/" Baymax stated informatively, waddling down the stairs from Hiro's bedroom. "Well, look whose sober," Abigail quipped, then quickly realized her joke might not be appropriate for the environment. Aunt Cass chuckled but put a finger to her mouth, looking towards Hiro as if to tell Abigail, "Not in front of the boy." The boy briefly pouted, looking at the two, "Come on, you really don't have to act like that Aunt Cass. I'm not a kid, I'm a fourteen-year-old college student, after all," the boy tried to reason, quickly catching himself as Aunt Cass squinted at the boy with a suspicious expression.

"But! I'm not saying that I have tried it before! Just… don't have to hide it like I'm not old enough to know about it." Aunt Cass went back to eating her pancake, somewhat satisfied with his explanation, "Well, okay Hiro. I trust you…" However, her tone indicated that she was going to watch him, adamant that she wanted him to continue staying out of trouble.

"/Hiro, you are currently not of age to legally consume alcoh-/" Baymax pointed out the obvious subject they were dancing around, but was promptly interrupted by Hiro. "Yeah, I know Baymax. There's no need to worry on that!" He had only wanted them to stop treating him like an oblivious kid, not that he had any particular desire to consume adult beverages, of course. He shot a pouted expression towards Abigail, blaming her for getting him in trouble in front of Aunt Cass. Abigail leaned over to whisper to him discreetly much to Hiro's annoyance, "Very smooth. You did that to yourself."

"It's good to see you back to normal, Baymax. But it was a treat to see you in your low battery state," Abigail laughed, with Baymax merely cocking his head to the side and blinking at her with curious confusion. Everyone continued to enjoy their breakfast, Aunt Cass getting up from her seat to offer everyone more juice. Hiro and Abigail smiled as they observed Baymax, who was clumsily attempting to set up a chair for himself at the table and sit on it without constantly tipping it over.

Hiro turned to Abigail, "You know, I've been thinking about your special project. Count me in." Abigail's eyes widened briefly, surprised at his relatively fast decision. But she was happy and relieved to hear it, smiling to him. "Glad you gave it thought. We'll check in with Alistair to get things underway." At the mention of Mr. Krei's first name, Abigail noticed Aunt Cass roll her eyes with minor disdain. Abigail was curious at her reaction to hearing about Alistair, but Hiro shook his head at Abigail, whispering to her, "Don't ask." Abigail smiled, realizing there must be a story there, but she would have to let it be for now. "Okay, we can stop by his office after breakfast," the boy conceded. The two nodded to each other, finishing their pancakes.

…

Ascending up the Krei Tech Industries main building, Abigail and Hiro were squeezed forward into the elevator as Baymax positioned himself to fit. Upon arriving at top floor, Abigail and Hiro were surprised to see Alistair Krei immediately there to greet them as soon as the elevator doors opened. He shook Abigail's hand firmly and motioned them towards their seats as he paced to his side of the desk.

"Welcome back, Abigail. Thank you for coming. And hello…intern," the man raised an eyebrow, not sure how to particularly greet the boy in this situation since Hiro wasn't here for his intern role. "I'm Sorry Baymax, don't have seat that would fit you," Mr. Krei formally apologized to the healthcare companion.

"/I am a robot. I do not need to sit./" Baymax responded, simply opting to stand next to Hiro and Abigail as they moved towards the seats. "And that's why you're my favorite robot," Alistair smiled, then looked towards the two.

"I don't usually take same day appointments, but for you Abigail, I can happily make the exception. My next client can wait, I don't really like him much anyways. Too demanding and needy…" the business executive held a finger up to ask for a moment. Pressing a button on his desk, "Assistant? Assistant…? Junie?"

"Judy. What can I do for you?" The personal assistant tersely corrected her boss. "Could you tell Mr. Eccleston that I will have to meet him another time or whatever?" Judy responded shortly after, "Ok, I'll let him know you'll meet him 'another time or whatever.'" Krei narrowed his eyes with little annoyance, "Thanks… Assistant." Hiro and Abigail sat down in the seats in front of Krei's desk, snickering at his interactions with Judy. Alistair took a deep breath, composing himself again.

"Well, glad to see you again, Abigail. I trust Hiro was a perfect gentleman on your 'date?'" Alistair quipped, looking towards the boy and hoping to illicit a reaction from him. He got flustered but needed to fight back so they couldn't tease him with that anymore. "Well, it wasn't a date. But it certainly went better than your actual date, 'Uncle Krei,'" the young boy smirked confidently and defiantly.

"Well, I got tied up in the bathroom by that creep! How else would a date go after that?" Mr. Krei got flustered and irritated, remembering his date with Aunt Cass that ended up a disaster. Abigail laughed, remembering Aunt Cass' scowl at hearing Alistair's name. Evermore curious, she said, "Okay, now someone has to tell me this story, seriously."

"No, no that won't be necessary. Not a word, Hiro. Let's just leave it at that. Point taken," Mr. Krei cleared his throat, trying to redirect the conversation away from the embarrassing subject. Still with a smug expression towards Mr. Krei, Hiro crossed his arms triumphantly.

"Well, where were we? Ah, yes. Anyways, how can I help you, Abigail?" Alistair asked, recomposing himself once again for the actual business at hand. If Abigail would return to San Fransokyo for some kind of project, it must have been important if she was willing to see him or to search for Hiro.

Abigail crossed a leg over another casually, her hands resting near her navel with her fingers interlocked. Her face changed into a serious, confident expression, "'Project Silent Sparrow.' Can you recreate it?"

Alistair's eyes immediately widened, and he pushed off of his desk, as if he was physically trying to maneuver away from the proposal. "What?! Abigail, why would you possibly…? I… No... I can't let you go back there, I already lost you once under my watch…" Alistair's incredulous expression, in complete disbelief his colleague would even consider such a thing.

"Alistair… I appreciate your concern, but I understand the risks involved. Please… this means everything to me. Perhaps it's the very reason I was brought back here in San Fransokyo. I was meant to do this," Abigail motioned to calm Krei down and reassure him that she was very much clearheaded.

"That's dangerous tech, Abigail. You of all people should know that. What could possibly make you want to even go back into that thing?" The business executive looked towards Hiro, who he remarked as being oddly quiet or complicit in the plan. "Hiro, you're ok with this?"

Hiro took a deep breath, perhaps still processing the situation still. "I had to give it some thought, I wasn't comfortable with it either, Mr. Krei. But Abigail is determined to see this through… she... wants to return Tadashi's Baymax that was stranded there. She's going to continue pursuing this whether I support it or not. So, I can't let her go at it alone and Baymax... he's family."

Mr. Krei rested his hand along his chin, his face wracked with concern and deep in thought. The business executive had been reckless throughout his career, he had made many judgment calls with high risks for high reward. But he felt that this foolhardiness is what inadvertently led to Abigail being stranded during Project Silent Sparrow's catastrophic failure. It was something that he did not express to others, but he was remorseful of it and felt that he played a part in it. What it did to her, to his friend and colleague, Robert… the chain of events that led to Hiro's loss of his older brother and his creation.

Abigail sat up, hoping to convince the typically reckless business tycoon. "Alistair, please. I need your help on this. Please trust me on this. You said that you would do everything you can to help me… I owe it to Hiro, to his brother. I owe my life to Baymax, I wouldn't be here if it weren't for him making that sacrifice," Abigail motioned her hands towards Hiro and Baymax next to her.

"But… Baymax is still here, with Hiro. He's standing right there. Why do you have to risk yourself for that one? I don't many any offense but isn't that just his old body?" Mr. Krei genuinely wondered, trying to weigh the risks with their objective to even consider supporting this. Hiro was initially offended but understood what he meant. That same Baymax, with his memories and personality, do continue through the second model that was with them now. For all intents and purposes, that is Baymax.

"If you want to have two Baymaxes, you could just machine him here at Krei Tech. We have more than what's necessary to create another one and copy his healthcare chip," Alistair genuinely proposed an alternative he hoped they would consider. Before Hiro could explain, Abigail stepped in, "It's not about having another Baymax model. It's true that Baymax does continue on through his second body here, but that model drifting alone is more than just a body. Tadashi, himself, had built it… And I owe it to the Hamada family and Baymax to return what was lost to them in order to save me." Krei looked down, deep in thought with a concerted effort to think this through. He understood where she was coming from on this.

"Alistair, please. It's how we can both make it up to them for that accident." Alistair's eyes locked with Abigail's, he saw the determination and certainty, the conviction within her. He understood why Hiro would not have been able to dissuade her, even if he had tried. But perhaps she was right, perhaps this would be the decision that would help ease his conscience and make it up to her. Or even, make it up to Hiro. Although he belittles him as his intern, he still recognizes that the boy had continued to place himself at risk to save him several times. And Silent Sparrow's failure started the sequence of events that took his older brother and Baymax away from him. In an indirect way, Krei felt that he played a part in their tragedy.

For a moment, Alistair Krei closed his eyes to consider his decision. "I want to help, Abigail. I really do. But even if I agreed to help... I'm sorry, I no longer have the project plans or the development team to recreate it." The business executive sighed, scratching his head.

"Sure, I have the funds to get the materials, but... after our lab was quarantined… the government pressured me to discontinue all work surrounding it and erase all records of its existence. That's why I had to have the Akuma Island lab disintegrated. And the project development team all left, it seems they blacklisted me and refuse to work for me no matter how much I offer them," he frowned, speaking apologetically. Naturally, he was emphasizing the implication he offered them a large amount of money to stay on at Krei Tech Industries.

"I see..." Abigail sighed, disappointed at suddenly experiencing a major setback or barrier to their mission. But she was determined to get all the pieces together, "I understand, Alistair. But still, there has to be a way. Hypothetically, if we can somehow get the project plans to rebuild it, could you provide the materials and the location?"

"Even if we got the plans to rebuild it, what you're asking me to do is... not legal in the eyes of the government," Krei advised cautiously. She looked to her colleague, recognizing that he would be placing himself at risk with the government… perhaps even placing all of them at risk. At the conclusion of the failed test, the government had did everything it could to deny any involvement or that the project even existed.

Hiro shot Mr. Krei a brief look of annoyed disbelief. Then he lightened up, waving his hand playfully in dismissal, "Yeah Mr. Krei, you're way above conducting unethical business deals..." His tone decidedly sarcastic, he clears his throat to emphasize, "Ahem…You know, like getting black market data chips? Don't think the government would approve of that either, I suppose. But what do I know?"

Mr. Krei narrowed his eyes at the boy, sighing, "Well, you got me there, intern." Abigail looked down at Hiro, chuckling at his snarky approach but grateful for pushing Krei along. Without him explicitly promising his support, Abigail exclaimed, "Perfect! Thank you, Alistair. It will be good to work with you again."

"But I didn't say I was okay with… Fine... Well, I should be able to start up construction of another facility at Akuma Island again to get things rolling. We'll probably disguise it as another research project on the surface, then hide our actual project underground at a deep sub-level. Government can't snoop around if they don't even know about a sub-level," Krei devised the clandestine plan rather quickly, causing Hiro to speculate that the business tycoon had already considered these measures for another shady project meant to be under the radar.

"Perfect! Thank you, Alistair!" Abigail dropped her stern, business-like demeanor to walk up to Krei and hug him with gratitude. She did appreciate that he agreed to help out, even placing himself and his company potentially at risk for reprimand. "Yeah, yeah. I'll have my team begin construction right away, but mind you, it will take some time. And I really mean, some time."

"How long is 'some time?'" Hiro inquired, noting the executive's emphasis. "Well, between a decoy facility and creating a secure sub-level adequate deep enough to comfortably dodge any government suspicions… six months at the very least. And that's being generous or hopeful. Realistically, perhaps a year or more, even. And my construction teams are the best money can afford," Mr. Krei informed them. In his usual fashion, he emphasized his ability to afford the best that money could buy. But for this, this is exactly why Abigail regarded Alistair's support as absolutely essential. He had the funds and the means for this to even be possible. Unfortunately, it was to be expected that it would take time for something of this scale, but the projected timeframe was discouraging.

Hiro quickly brainstormed, looking at the situation and attempting to create multiple plausible solutions to expedite the construction process. He tried to look for another angle, something perhaps he would never think to consider. In a moment of serendipity, the young genius was able to come up with a potential solution. His face initially lit up, he let out a laugh in triumph as the others looked to him.

Without a doubt, the boy had a solution. But his initial excitement became one of hesitation and introspection. This solution would have its potential downfalls that he needed to account for. One that he was hesitant on for a moment, trying to see if there was an alternative.

Abigail, Mr. Krei and even Baymax looked to the boy in anticipation. Hiro looked up at Mr. Krei, "I will allow your construction crews to use the microbots to expedite construction, it should only take a month or two instead if all goes well." Krei's face brightened up, "Hiro, that's a great idea!"

But Hiro put his finger up to continue, "But only on these conditions: I will create a failsafe system that will deactivate any and all microbots and neurotransmitters in use if I deem it necessary. I will have an A.I. system in place to continuously monitor their use, ensuring that they remain only on task with the facility's construction. If your workers even think to pocket a single microbot, my A.I. will know. Any deviation, and I will pull the plug. Oh, and this is a loan. I'm not giving Krei Tech my microbots or neurotransmitter design, I will be taking them back after their done. All of them. If your tech analysts, or you, even think to discern my neurotransmitter design or attempt to tamper with the failsafe, the systems will short out and be scrambled so they can't even attempt to recreate it. And I may be your intern, but mind you I can look into your files to make sure my work didn't get stolen if I really want to. You're your level of encrypted files are not an issue for me."

Abigail whistled in amazement, "You are sharp. You can't mess with that, Alistair. That's quite the solution, boy genius." She was genuinely impressed at his ability to think of a comprehensive solution on the fly, not to mention consider various control implements to ensure that potential risks were mitigated. He was thorough and truly gifted. But she could not blame him for being cautious, his invention was intended for projects like these. But he experienced firsthand that they can be misused if in the wrong hands.

Mr. Krei smiled, respecting the boy's business savvy approach. A shame he didn't exercise that same level of due diligence when he signed on as his intern. Krei nodded and verbally agreed, "I understand, Hiro. It's your tech. I'll wager it on your internship contract if I breach your conditions, you have my word that my team and I will comply. But thank you for loaning it to my team, it will speed up the process exponentially."

He understood the boy's mistrust on the matter. At the admittance symposium, they had caught Mr. Krei when he pocketed one of the small machines upon their first meeting each other. Not to mention, their attempt to recreate the neurotransmitter was vastly inferior than Hiro's design and even that prototype was stolen to create the former supervillain, Globby. Who stole Krei's wallet much to his chagrin… Besides, Hiro was now an asset of Krei Tech, perhaps their Research and Development department would experience more breakthroughs if Hiro trusted him more. The boy's intellect would benefit him more than any single invention Mr. Krei could get his hands on. He had to think about treating the boy as a partner.

"Baymax, did you record Mr. Krei verbally agreeing?" Hiro turned over to smile at his robot companion. "/Yes, Hiro. I have stored the verbal agreement./" Baymax responded, with a tape recorder looking interface on his body screen. He promptly replayed back what Mr. Krei had said. Honestly, Krei was impressed at the boy's ability to conduct a business deal and cover all of his bases. He somewhat was hoping this was learned from being his intern. "Thanks, buddy," he looked to the robot. "/You are welcome./"

"Good, then on those terms, they may use them. I'll begin producing them today, and not here. At my personal labs at SFIT and home. You know, precautions and all," the boy was exceedingly cautious. It's not just that he did not trust Mr. Krei, it was that he did not want another invention of his to be used nefariously or unethically. It had happened with his microbots with Professor Callaghan and his completed energy amplifier device with Obake. He was determined not to repeat that mistake. It was only because this project meant a lot to him personally, that he would even revisit his microbot invention.

"Well, then. That takes care of where we are going to conduct the project. But we still need to figure out a way to reconstruct Silent Sparrow. If even just a small lead for us to work off of and develop it from there. You are certain you can't get at least one scientist from the original project development team, Alistair?" Abigail asked Krei, hoping he could think of at least one member to come on board for this project.

Alistair shook his head, "No, I'm sorry Abigail but that's a dead end. They all blacklisted me and refuse to have any communications between us. Trust me I've tried to get them back for other projects and would have paid them handsomely. But honestly, if even one of them catches wind of this, they won't hesitate to blow the whistle to get me behind bars."

"You sure know how to win people over, don't you Mr. Krei?" Hiro snidely commented on how Mr. Krei seems to amass a lot of enemies, even among those within his own team. Like the inventor, Dr. Mel Meyer, who developed their Flexible Display Technology but disapproved of their use for the "Buddy Guard" drones. He wasn't surprised there would be those who would try to get him convicted, but this situation does not provide any options in approaching the previous Project Silent Sparrow development team.

"Well! It's called good business!" Mr. Krei responded to his sarcastic accusation. "But really, Mr. Krei. You are certain that all of your files surrounding Silent Sparrow was wiped clean? Or were they encrypted and locked away, because that won't be a problem for-" Hiro was abruptly interrupted by Mr. Krei, "No, no, no. Don't go snooping into my files! I assure you, they were wiped clean." Krei knew that the boy was skilled enough to hack through his systems, and he didn't want to have to explain all of the deals and projects he has in the works.

"We'll have to find a way to recreate it, I'm not giving up on this," Abigail exclaimed, although perplexed at this issue, she was still determined. "Well, there has to be another way… just have to find a new angle," Hiro sighed, trying to think of other ways they could even attempt to start on something they had no technical knowledge about. If only just a lead, if he was capable of having a starting point he could try to design the portal device from the bottom-up.

After all, the boy was capable of constructing a fully-functioning, stable energy amplifier device, once thought to be a difficult feat even by the likes of Lenore Shimamoto or the young genius Bob Aken. If he had something to work off of, he was confident he would be able to design it. But the issue was, there was no data or person's work to go off of…

Suddenly, Hiro began scratching his head violently, further ruffling his messy black hair everywhere. It was as if he was trying to get an unwelcome thought out of his head. Once again, they all looked to the boy genius in anticipation that he had found another solution so soon. But Hiro did not like this one, it was an angle he wished he didn't even consider. He desperately tried to look for other angles, any other viable solution would be preferable to this one. He sighed, silently accepting that it was the only one. Calming himself down to try to propose the solution.

"I can't believe that I am the one saying this… but there is one person who can help us… he was able to reconstruct Silent Sparrow and make it functional all on his own…" Hiro muttered, lingering resentment and anguish behind his voice. Abigail and Krei's eyes widened, they already knew he was referring to based on his tone. It was not an option they even considered. "My father…? Hiro… If that is the only way, I understand if you do not want to pursue this," Abigail was shocked that he would be the one to propose this of all people. But she wanted to reassure him that he does not have to involve himself with her father if the anger and pain was too much to face.

"I… I want to bring back Tadashi's Baymax. For Aunt Cass. For Tadashi…" he paused to take a deep breath. "There is no other angle for us to explore. Professor Callaghan's working knowledge of Silent Sparrow is our only means of getting a functional portal built." The boy looked down, clenching his fists at this development that he is grudgingly advocating for. "Hiro… I didn't mean to put you in this kind of situation…" Abigail said softly, she wanted to pursue this to help the boy heal and not necessarily force him to face his trauma head on.

Hiro took a deep inhale, forcefully exhaling a sigh as if to shake off his tension. He looked up at the young woman concerned for him, that man's very own daughter, "I know, Abigail. Thanks, please don't worry too much. I was the one who thought of it. It was my idea, remember?" The thought of working with Professor Callaghan was unsettling for the boy, but Hiro believes family comes first before yourself. Baymax was an extension of Tadashi. And he desperately wanted to move forward and heal.

Truthfully, the memory of the augmented reality he was subjected still disturbed him. Obake's illusion of his older brother still haunts him, for a moment he really wished it was him. It was line crossed too far, even for Obake. It sullied his memories of the real Tadashi. Hiro needed to honor Tadashi's true memory and legacy, and for him, retrieving his Baymax would do just that.

Baymax reached his arms around the young boy, startling him with the sudden embrace. "/It is difficult losing a loved one./" the robot comforted his friend. Hiro smiled up at him, patting his healthcare companion. The irony being that one of the lost loved ones that he was trying to comfort Hiro about, was Baymax, himself. Well, sort of.

"Will Robert even agree to help rebuild Silent Sparrow…? To work with me? For that matter, would he even agree to you going back in the portal?" Alistair wondered, they were concerns that they had to contend with. There were many reasons why Professor Callaghan could refuse to help. Perhaps he still had a lingering vendetta against Krei. But Abigail did not expect to involve her father in this project, she had actually hoped to conduct it with his knowledge so he wouldn't have to worry or attempt to dissuade her.

In this situation, Abigail knew if she did not have everything in place to ensure their success, her father would most likely refuse to help. She recognized that her father would be deathly afraid of losing her. He would have to willingly allow Abigail to enter the portal again and face the trauma of seeing her crossover. It would be difficult to convince him to allow her to risk herself for this. There was a lot of things needed for the remote possibility of convincing him.

"It all hinges on my father agreeing to help rebuild Silent Sparrow. I have to… We have to convince him to get on board," Abigail replied, recognizing the gravity of the situation. "You know your father, he wouldn't dare risk you being lost again. So, how can we possibly convince him?" Alistair asked, skeptical that this was even possible. He was right to be concerned, Robert had been driven to murderous intent after losing Abigail. She meant that much to him.

Abigail took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a pregnant pause. Hiro laid back on Baymax, hoping his brain would find the next solution. But it was difficult to, this was Professor Callaghan they were dealing with. His emotions were making it difficult to think clearly. He looked towards Abigail, who opened her eyes followed by a confident smirk on her face.

"I know someone who can help us convince him," Abigail said confidently, without a sense of doubt in her tone. They looked to her, wondering who could help them in this situation. Cryptically, Abigail looked towards the boy genius who was ever curious, "Hiro, what time are you out of class tomorrow? I think I'll pay SFIT a visit."


	9. Accept it with Grace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail and Hiro visit Professor Granville

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I realize I am coming out with these relatively quickly, but trying to take advantage of the inspiration and creative flow before I hit any extended writer's block. But thank you for reading and hope you are enjoying this series thus far.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series

Chapter 9: Accept it with Grace

The young genius walked alongside Abigail, showing her what has changed since she was last here. They walked next to a building that Abigail was not familiar with. Hiro smiled, motioning his hand to introduce the building to her. Hiro's eyes softened, but proudly exclaimed, "And that's Tadashi Hamada Hall."

Despite the sting of being reminded where he had lost his brother to that fated fire, he was grateful that the staff of San Fransokyo Institute of Technology sought to honor both Tadashi's selfless courage and what he had aspired to do with technology and the betterment of the world. Hiro and Aunt Cass, along with the gang, were there for the opening of the new building that was named in his honor. The outpouring of support and commemoration of his older brother meant a lot to him and Aunt Cass. With it, another part of Tadashi's legacy will continue to inspire the next generations of SFIT classes to use technology to help people.

Abigail walked slowly and mindfully, gliding her hand over the outer wall of the building and moving towards the entrance. She walked in, along with Hiro and Baymax. They all looked at the commemorative statue in the middle of Tadashi Hamada Hall. It stood proudly as a beacon, crafted with careful detail. The recreation of Tadashi standing casually, an easy smile on his face and his distinct San Fransokyo Ninjas ball cap on. "Pretty sick, huh?" Hiro mused, proud that his brother continues to live on another way for all to see, in a place that he loved.

Abigail walked up to the statue, looking down to read its inscription, its words inspired by the young man, himself. The inscription read, "Should you find yourself discouraged, shake things up. Use that big brain of yours to think your way out and find a new angle. Never give up, even should you fail and fail. Perhaps even eighty-three times, success might be around the corner. You may not understand it yet, but people need you. Someone has to help, so let that someone be you. Stand tall and get back to work." Tadashi's words will continue to give future students the inspiration to keep pushing forward and innovate, a testament to his character. During the construction of the hall, Hiro was asked if he could write the inscription in honor of his brother. Naturally, he combined all of the wisdom and care of his brother that he had imparted in him. After all, they were words held deeply in the young boy's heart and ones he tried to live by.

Abigail smiled warmly, looking throughout the building with awe. She looked to Hiro, nodding to each other that it was time to meet the one person who could help them convince Professor Callaghan. As they walked across the campus to the main administrative building, Abigail recollected her memories of Granville when she was younger.

"Ummm… you sure we are talking about THE same Professor Granville?" Hiro shot Abigail a genuinely confused face, an eyebrow raised as he looked up with an incredulous expression of utter disbelief. It was nearly impossible for the boy to see her otherwise, trying to imagine Granville being different from her usual disciplinarian, "drill sergeant-like" self. They were walking through the campus of SFIT to visit the current head professor, herself.

"Yes! She was always so lively when I saw her as a kid, she was very sweet and caring. She really had quite a style too. If only you could have seen it yourself. Such a retro look, now that I think back on it. I'm pretty sure Wendy Wower based her character on Granville for her education show! She was her student after all," Abigail exclaimed, reminiscing about her fond memories of the professor.

"Yeah…I seriously doubt that. That can't be true," Hiro waved his hand and shaking his head, dismissing the thought of a lively, sweet and caring "Wendy Wower's Science Hour" version of Professor Granville. Should that Granville ever have existed, he had wished that that was his professor instead. Perhaps then, the young student would not be constantly under the head professor's direct scrutiny.

They continued to walk down the hall until Hiro stopped at Professor Granville's office door. But Abigail was already familiar with this area, familiar with this entire building as if she was returning to an old home. She was all too familiar with this hall, especially that particular office. It had been her father's office during his time as SFIT's dean and head professor. She had visited it many times as a child and an adult, throughout most of her life growing up, actually.

The young boy took a deep breath, amusing Abigail as she witnessed Hiro seem to prepare himself to just see Professor Granville. Then Hiro looked to Abigail, his expression became smug, almost betting that Abigail would be surprised when she saw the head professor. "Well then, she's different now. You'll see how 'lively' and 'sweet' she is," he said sarcastically as he turned to knock on her door ever so carefully and precisely. She could tell this was a routine procedure for Hiro. Abigail chuckled, figuring the boy had to see Professor Granville regularly by the sounds of how she counsels him.

"Come in," Professor Granville responded shortly, her stern voice piercing past her office door. Hiro opened the door slightly and peeked his head in to see Professor Granville typing away on her laptop. Baymax shortly peeked behind the wall around the corner, mirroring Hiro.

"Hey, uh, Professor Granville, you have a moment?" Hiro greeted her with an uneasy smile. Without moving her head, only her eyes looked up to see her young student and only an eyebrow seemed to react as it raised with curiosity wondering why the boy was there for an unscheduled meeting.

"Mr. Hamada. Come to tell me you've broken another one of my doors again?" she asked sarcastically despite doing so in her stern manner. Hiro laughed nervously, rubbing his hand along the back of his neck embarrassedly. Baymax interjected, "/That was an accident. Hiro was wearing his Nano-/" but Hiro quickly stopped him with a finger to the robot's face to hush him.

"Well, no. I mean... umm, not this time. Still haven't let that one go, huh…?" the boy laughed uneasily, trying to bring the conversation back to why he was there in the first place. "Well, it's just that I have a visitor who wanted to specifically see you," Hiro turned to open the door completely, looking outside the office towards their visitor and nodding that it was time to make her appearance.

Hiro stepped further into the room and quickly stepped to the side to make space, displaying "jazz hands" directed towards the open door enthusiastically in anticipation for the visitor. This caught Granville's attention, raising her head to see a slender, young woman stepping towards her with a warm smile on her face.

It took a moment for her to recognize this oddly familiar face, looking at her large blue eyes that immediately reminded her of… "Ms. Callaghan? Or can I still call you little Abby?" Granville's eyes immediately widened, but her expression was one of unusual elation and delight. Her voice uncharacteristically warm and welcoming. She immediately stood up from her desk, maneuvering quickly around it to meet Abigail in the middle of the room. A rare smile shown on Granville's face, undeniably present, in a way that seemed to betray her usual hard-set demeanor. Hiro looked on in wonder at such a rare sight, though slightly disturbed by how unusual it is from her usual intimidating expression.

"If I can still call you Auntie Granville?" Abigail joked as she immediately closed in to give Granville a heartfelt hug. Professor Granville was initially taken aback, not expecting it. "I see you are still not big on hugging," Abigail quipped as she noted how Granville withdrew from the sudden physical contact, her hands awkwardly floating around Abigail.

Then suddenly, Granville warmly accepted the hug, to Hiro's surprise, and pulled Abigail closer to her, "Look who came back from the 'other side.'" Granville said this decidedly, her words intentionally holding a double meaning. Most certainly she was pleased to see Abigail be back from the other side of that failed project that she was vaguely aware of, saved by the actions of her young student and his healthcare companion no less.

For a time, the world had believed that Abigail had truly gone to the other side. Of course, the "other side" being a simple euphemism for crossing into the afterlife or simply alluding to her death. Professor Granville recalled that she had once attended Abigail's "funeral." Officially, Abigail was said to have perished in an accident while piloting the experimental prototype of an unspecified military aircraft, with no remains to be found in the aftermath. But much to her relief, which is understating it, she was happy to see Abigail very much alive and well.

They pulled apart, their hands resting along each other's arms, as they were adjusting to how much both of them has changed since they last seen each other. "And please, you can call me Grace now. You're no longer that little girl that followed her father around the campus," Professor Granville said in uncharacteristically joking manner.

Granville reflected on how Abigail was merely two-years old when her father would bring her along to work, where they met each other when she was still teaching. In a short time, Abigail bonded with her like she was family.

But suddenly, Abigail never saw her at SFIT again during her visits. Only to see her Auntie Granville at her home periodically when her father wanted to check up on her. She had changed then, but Abigail was too young to understand or notice. Professor Granville would act like her old self to the child. But as Abigail attended SFIT herself, she would come to learn that Granville resigned shortly after a pipe-bursting accident injured her young protégé.

But as Grace mentioned Abigail's father, her face suddenly became sullen. Similarly, Hiro's eyes lowered down as his smile faded. Realizing they were entering an emotional territory. Granville took a deep breath, trying to provide a comforting smile for Abigail. "Robert… Your father loved you dearly, Abby. And he had a difficult time of processing his grief after your 'death…' He was a good man, he was… a friend. While that doesn't justify his actions..." Grace's eyes now looking to Hiro.

The young boy obviously still processing it all. And she knew that this was to be expected, the wounds of his loss were still fresh. Even as time will go by, she knows that her student will always have to face the reality that his older brother is gone, and that he was taken away by the actions of Tadashi's own mentor. She tried to think if she were in his shoes, would she able to bring herself to forgive Professor Callaghan?

Her gaze returned to Abigail's eyes, "I am sorry what happened to you and your father. That terrifying accident that took you away. And what he did... in your absence…" It was an odd moment for Professor Granville, words were escaping her, but she continued, "Pain and loss can drive even the kindest person to do things they wouldn't normally do…and even turn them into someone they are not."

Those words resonated with Hiro. While Professor Granville was referring to Callaghan, Hiro could relate to that sentiment… to a time that his pain and grief drove him to seek violent retribution, upon learning his brother died trying to save his mentor who inadvertently let him die. Certainly, that same pain and grief drove him to hurt his friends, misuse his brother's creation and act in a way that Tadashi wouldn't want him to. That anguish and grief turned to unbridled anger, a desire to take his life… to kill Professor Callaghan. But taking his life would not have changed anything really, Tadashi would still be gone. Through Baymax and his friends, he was able to see what Tadashi would have wanted him to do. Hiro recognized that Professor Callaghan did not have the same support, he let his grief overtake him as he continued on alone.

Granville continued… "Or that pain can make you push away from everything, running from it but it inevitably remains with you." Abigail smiled to herself, appreciating Grace's perspective as it mirrored her own pain that made her run away from San Fransokyo, away from the actions of her father… and away from her father, himself. Hiro looked on, realizing that Professor Granville was referring to her leaving SFIT after Obake… or rather Bob Aken, was gravely injured by the energy amplifier project and the guilt that remained with her even now.

Monitoring Hiro's emotional state by scanning his neurotransmitter levels, Baymax waddled towards his human companion. "/Hiro. You are displaying moderate symptoms of emotionally distress./," placing his large, marshmallow hand above the boy's dark, messy hair. Baymax gently patted Hiro's head twice while simultaneously saying "there, there." Snapping out of his sullen thoughts from their conversation, Hiro looked up at his friend and smiled at him, showing his appreciation.

Baymax raised one hand, pointing one finger upwards while informing them, "/Traumatic events in life can bring up feelings of emotional pain. It is important to connect with friends and loved ones for comfort./" Professor Granville and Abigail looked towards the healthcare companion, a smile returning on their faces. The emotional atmosphere shifting back to lightheartedness, thanks to the disarmingly calming intervention by the marshmallow robot.

"But…Auntie Grace, it's so great to see you again. It really has been too long," Abigail smiling back to Granville, appreciating the moment. "I am just glad to have you back, thanks to a certain hero of course," Granville's eyes shifted to Hiro, who was rubbing the back of his head and averting his gaze. Abigail's eyes widened and looked towards Hiro, chuckling, "She knows about your… 'part time job?'"

"Yeah, not voluntarily of course… just can't get much by Professor Granville even when we try…," Hiro responded, embarrassedly with a hint of playful annoyance. "Yes, if only Mr. Hamada would put the same amount of dedication to his studies like he does with his… 'part time job'… but this city seems to keep him especially busy," Professor Granville quipped.

"But Mr. Hamada... I apologize for being so... dictating in your affairs or telling you how to 'superhero.' Had I not been so... me, you all wouldn't have gotten captured by Momokase. But I sincerely hope that you will still call on me to help should you ever need it," Granville apologized, hoping she could still be of help to her protégé's risky endeavors.

"We knew you meant well, Professor Granville. We still appreciate your help, you still helped us identify her potential targets. I know we'll probably need your help sometime in the future," Hiro waved his hands in front of him, attempting to reassure his professor that she didn't have to apologize anymore for that.

"Besides... never thought I would see you go up against Momokase by yourself, it was pretty cool. And you helped put Baymax back together in time to help us escape," Hiro recalled, referring to Momokase's food storage that was, according to Fred, an "im'pantry'able" prison cell. "And... I heard you looked down." The boy joked, grinning at his professor at hearing Baymax's audio recording of her frantic first flight.

Professor Granville's eyes widened with slight embarrassment but returned to stern composure, "Yes, well I don't think I am cut out for your... extracurricular activities." She shuddered at the thought of flying so high over San Fransokyo atop of Baymax, the terrifying heights that separated her from the ground. "But if you guys ever need my help, please don't hesitate to DM me."

Both Hiro and Abigail looked at each other, somewhat weirded out and comically amused by Professor Granville's use of modern vernacular. But Hiro appreciated her offer of support, knowing he could very well need it in the future. He nodded to her, "Thank you, Professor Granville."

Turning towards Abigail, Granville quickly wondered, "But I have to ask, what brings you back to San Fransokyo, Abby? Last I heard, you dove back into your work overseas as a test pilot."

Still looking towards the boy, Abigail smiled as she said, "Well, I wanted to meet the 'man' behind the legend. The hero, himself. My guardian angel. My-" Hiro interrupted, shooting her a wide uncomfortable smile, his face reddening and visibly embarrassed at her choice of words. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Ok, I think she gets it, Abigail," he laughed embarrassedly.

"Increased blood flow to your cheeks indicates embarrassment-" Baymax pointed out but again interrupted by Hiro's panicked attempts at shushing the robot. "Uh, that's ok Baymax you don't have to explain that!" he interjected. Of course, Abigail meant nothing but only to tease the boy again and continued to be amused by how easily flustered her rescuer could get.

"I… really wanted to thank him for what he did for me. Baymax too, of course. But I am glad to get to know him and asked him to help me with a certain… special project." Her eyes lowered and the tone of her voice became somewhat melancholic, "To be honest, when I saw the reports of San Fransokyo nearly experiencing another great catastrophe… I realized I was afraid to lose opportunities, like seeing you again. Or the chance to meet Hiro and Baymax. Or even see my father."

Suddenly, her voice returned to her normal confident tone, "And that is actually why we are here… We need your expertise, to help work on this project and… help convince my father to get on board with it. You would be able to. You've worked with him, he trusted you as a close friend and colleague."

Hiro looked away, still not pleased with the prospect of working with Professor Callaghan and the inevitable pain it will bring up. But it was his proposed solution, the only possible angle that he could think of. They needed Professor Callaghan and gaining the support of Professor Granville could help get him to consider it. Abigail continued, "I just feel that I have to make things right and help mend these wounds… so we can all heal. And I have to do it alongside Hiro… for him and his family…"

Hiro looked back to Abigail. He recognized that she is still in anguish and seeking atonement for her father's actions, that she still feels somehow responsible being the one to volunteer for the failed project that took her away. She was blaming herself that so much grief was caused by her disappearance.

But Hiro could never blame her for the part she played in that mess. Getting stranded in that world of purple cloud fractals, alone in that void. She had no control over that. He was getting to know her but they were becoming closer already. He appreciated where her heart was at and what she wanted to do for him… and Tadashi. She was determined with sheer conviction, and Hiro would help in this mission to retrieve Tadashi's Baymax. Perhaps then, will she be able to heal from all of this.

Professor Granville could sense the sincerity of Abigail's words, but to what were they trying to get Robert's help in? What would require her help in the project? Let alone, to get her former colleague to support it? Even more so, what could possibly convince Hiro that he should work alongside the person who caused him so much grief? Exceedingly curious, she questioned Abigail, "Tell me, Abby. What does this 'special project' entail?"

With a confident smile, she said with utmost conviction behind her voice, "We're going to send me back to the 'other side' to retrieve the lost Baymax." Granville's eyes widened but quickly narrowed, she transitioned quickly from being surprised to being stern and strictly protective. "Abigail! Are you insane?! Why would I help you put yourself at risk again? Let alone, convince your father, of all people! You could be lost to us again or worse… And I already… I already went to your funeral once, Abby. I can't again."

Her tone was decidedly more severe, critical and stern, a tone that Hiro was more familiar with. It was the very same one, seemingly angry but concerned, that pleaded he not pursue the energy amplifier project. But he understood that she was coming from a place of concern, trying to prevent another tragic loss. And by Abigail's unwavering stance and a warm smile still remaining on her face, Abigail knew that she was only reacting out of care for her well-being.

To his surprise, Hiro noted that she had not been phased by Professor Granville's suddenly severe reaction. "Auntie Grace, I appreciate your concern. But this means everything to me, I am here to make amends to Hiro and his aunt, to Baymax and to Tadashi. Perhaps even, help to atone for my father's actions. They lost Baymax to save me, I refuse to allow a part of Tadashi's legacy continue to drift in that heartless void. Tadashi was a friend… a brother, almost. I have to be the one to get Baymax, Tadashi deserves no less from me," she spoke with heartfelt strength and tenacity, Hiro and Professor Granville looked to her in silence, but her words carried undeniable strength that seemingly echoed within them.

Granville looked down, pausing to give it thought. She then began to laugh softly to herself, much to the surprise of both Hiro and Abigail. "You are just like her, you know? You have your mother's stubbornness, you two always had to be so head strong. It is apparent that I cannot convince you otherwise, Abby. I can understand why you want to do this…"

But now, Professor Granville looked to her young protégé with caring concern. "Mr. Hamada…" she paused, "Hiro…" Hiro looked to his mentor, taking note that she only referred to him by his first name when she was trying to level with him. "Hiro… you're okay with this?" He knew that she was implying the involvement of Professor Callaghan. She was concerned for the boy, the traumatic feelings it could elicit from him.

Hiro sighed, understanding her concern and recognizing that this was an odd situation, "I am, Professor Granville. I am not pleased with it, sure. But I was the one to propose involving Professor Callaghan, it's our only angle. There is no one else nor any documented knowledge to go off of. Only he has the technical knowledge to rebuild Silent Sparrow, just as he did once..."

Not completely satisfied, Professor Granville continued, "And I take it that you and Baymax will be… crossing over to that place with Abby?" She had already lost one protégé, she could not bear the thought of losing Hiro whom she has actually became increasingly fond of. Similarly, Abigail looked to Hiro with concern, not yet knowing how much Hiro was willing to involve himself in this undertaking. She had honestly wished that the boy would provide his technical support for the project, use his big brain to ensure it would be successful. Honestly, she did not want him to risk himself once again once the project was being executed.

She wanted to protect him, the thought of another Hamada brother being lost to the world was unbearable. But she had come to know the boy, he wasn't one to let others risk themselves without his help. He risks his own life almost daily, she knew that this would not be any different for him. After all, he risked his life for her, the daughter of the man who hurt him deeply. As he would never be able to convince her not to attempt this, she knew that the boy would not budge, either.

Hiro smiled warmly, trying to reassure his professor, "Yes, Professor Granville. I can't let her go at it alone, I have to help. And besides, someone has to look after this rebellious one out there." The boy snidely pointed his thumb in Abigail's direction, smirking. "/And I will be looking after you both,/" the healthcare companion said reassuringly, of which there was no doubt. Professor Granville closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, a smile returning to her face. "Rebellious ones, indeed," she remarked, referring to the two in front of her.

"But I have my concerns for such a project. Please, give me some time to consider it," Professor Granville informed them, but the two were delighted that she would at least consider helping them. "But even if I do consent to helping you, Abby. A lot of time and things have come to pass between your father and I. We are not so close anymore. And you know his answer. After losing your mother, you became everything he had left. It would take a lot for him to even consider risking your life, again. Why do you think I can change his mind?"

Abigail seemed to have accounted for all the barriers they would face in speaking with Professor Granville on the project. She still remained confident, and softened her voice, "Through the years I had wondered why you left SFIT, Auntie Grace. I'm sorry, I came to learn that it was after an accident occurred, involving your pupil… But I can understand why you have changed from it." Abigail paused for a moment, "Hiro told me how you are now, that you firmly believe in having limits. You are calm, calculated and accept nothing but a near-zero margin of error. I came to you for your technical expertise, but also for your firm beliefs in having limitations, implementing controls and reducing risks to their lowest probability. With you, we can drastically minimize any chances of another catastrophic failure. Should we experience anything beyond your own set operational parameters, beyond an acceptable level of risk… We can count on you to reign us in and halt the project. You will be the failsafe that can help reassure my father that this will be successful. My father… he trusted in you and I know that having you on board will help him to even consider helping us."

Grace nodded, chuckling warmly, "I see that you are still that smart little girl, always scheming and planning mischief. That could work… I will need some time to process all of this. To make a decision if I will indeed help you. And also, if I do consent to support your project, how I would approach your father." Hiro smiled, remembering that Abigail was a bot-fighter when she was younger. Like him, she must have gotten into a lot of trouble, too. Abigail closed their distance quickly, hugging her Aunt Grace lovingly with gratitude. "I understand, take the time you need. But thank you for considering it, Auntie Grace."

"Abby… of course. It really is great to see you again. To see the strong woman you have become. I know your mother would be proud of you," Granville hugged her back warmly. For a time, Grace never thought she would ever get the chance to see Abigail again. Then Abigail softly released and walked back to Hiro and Baymax, "Thank you, Aunt Grace. We will let you have your time to think, but really. Thank you. I am glad I got to see you again." Hiro and Baymax waved at the professor, bidding farewell. Granville yelled across to them, "I will think on it. But again, if there is anything else I can help with, don't hesitate to 'DM' me." They both chuckled as they moved towards the door, Hiro laughed, "Okay, thanks Professor Granville!"

As her young protégé and her all grown-up "niece" walked out of her office, Grace gave them a warm smile and chuckled to herself, "If you could see your daughter now, Gale. She's grown to be so strong, like you… But, Robert…" The head professor walked up to her window, staring out towards the open campus of SFIT set within the scenic Golden Gyoen Park. Her eyes scanned listlessly, deep in thought. She had to process this her own way. She walked towards a gym bag within an office drawer, pulling out her running shoes.

….

Along the lush green fields and the trails of Golden Gyoen Park, Granville kept a steady stride as she ran through the familiar paths she had frequented for years. Her breathing was steady, her eyes gazing forward. She had been an avid runner throughout her life, it was something that helped her in her most emotional moments. Of course, this was also why she was capable of maneuvering and dodging even someone of the likes of Momokase. But this time, she ran to process her mind and revisit memories long since behind her.

It was a tremendous relief and pleasure to see her little Abby again. But she could not help but think about her 'funeral.' When she truly thought that she was gone. At the time, Grace could not bear to even think that the little girl she had once known was gone in a terrible accident, sharing a similar fate to her own mother. Although she was still in her self-imposed retirement from SFIT, she did still share a professional and personal bond of friendship with her colleague, Robert Callaghan. It was natural for her to visit her old friend, to attempt to console him on his unimaginable loss. Between them, they had constantly come to each other to console each other at the most traumatic moments of their lives.

Grace had known him for quite some time during their mutual tenure at the college. They had both regarded each other as excellent teachers in their trades, sharing the same passion to better the world. They both had seen the development of technology and the mentoring of young brilliant minds as a way to improve the future. But, admittedly, their approaches did vary. Grace's passion was coupled with an unfettered philosophy that geniuses should be given the utmost freedom to create with every possible resource afforded to them. Unfortunately, it was her unrestrained pursuit of this altruistic passion that inadvertently led to Bob Aken's accident. She had learned too late, with a personal cost too great, that the chaotic passion of creative freedom must be guided by the structured discipline of limitations.

She had left the college and the profession she had loved out of sheer remorse for not protecting her protégé from the dangers he pursued. She had covered for the boy, but she could not bear to remain there. While the matter would not be pursued further, Robert was concerned over the well-being of his former colleague. Her resignation had affected Professor Callaghan, feeling that the school had lost someone so pivotal in its mission to mentor young brilliant minds. But truthfully, he was saddened to lose his colleague there and feared he would lose his friend to the grief that made her run away from it all.

Grace recalled that, in her deepest moments of remorse and guilt, Robert had come to visit her. She regretted it, but she could not bring herself to even tell him the truth surrounding her protégé's accident, his risky pursuit of developing the energy amplifier. That it was his pursuit, unrestrained by Grace giving him full reign of her lab, that led to the boy nearly dying. She could not even bring herself to see the boy, herself. Only allowing herself the solace of knowing that he at least survived the ordeal.

Robert was a brilliant man, but more than that, he was Grace's friend. It didn't take much for him to surmise that she felt responsible for what happened to the young genius, Bob Aken. He did not know the true circumstances to the incident, but he didn't need to. Robert had attempted to console her, but he did not press into the matter to learn what happened. He was only concerned for his friend.

But truthfully, the incident had put Granville in a deep state of depression, and she became increasingly reclusive. With time, Professor Callaghan was only able to see her sparingly. However, during those times, his wife Gale and the young Abigail would come to visit along with him, and it would help bring the spark of life back to Granville steadily. But she had changed, her demeanor became sterner as she regained her sense of self and purpose. But she remained grateful to the Callaghan family for their kindness and support.

But for her friend, Robert… it had seemed that tragedy would strike him time and time again. Taking away the two things that mattered to him the most, even above his passions as a professor and mentor: his wife, Gale, and his daughter, Abigail. Grace had attempted to console him as she mourned for them too, but each time he lost someone she saw that he did not change overtly. And this was perhaps the most concerning part. No one goes through that and does not walk away unaffected. It was how Robert coped each traumatic loss, that concerned her so.

At Abigail's "funeral" and thereafter, Grace was able to catch her old friend in a private moment. It was there that he had confided in Grace the truth. Although she only briefly heard about the true nature of Abigail's disappearance, it pained her to see what the man was holding in. The catastrophic failure that took away Abigail, hauntingly similar to how a catastrophic failure had taken Gale away from him. But it was the one brief moment that Robert had seemingly shared his thoughts honestly with anyone. He was only comfortable enough to confide with her. But at the time, Grace did not sense any anger or hatred, just the emptiness of a man that lost everything he held dearest.

What disturbed and concerned Granville the most, was that Professor Callaghan, all of a sudden was "okay." He was no longer willing to confide even to his old colleague or even approach the subject of Abigail or the incident. It was as if he was shutting himself away at his work at SFIT, all in an effort to drown out the truth of what he had lost and longed for. After a while, Grace found it hard to even approach him, knowing that he was keeping it all within and made every effort to appear "normal" even to her. Unbeknownst to her, it was as if he was dying from the inside and what was growing in his stead was a festering sense of grief and hatred.

Granville could no longer process the sequence of events to follow. When she had heard that Robert had perished along with his protégé in a tragic fire, she felt it was as if fate was taunting her cruelly. Robert would lose his protégé just as she did, but far worse that the student did not come out of it alive. And that young man would be the bright and promising older brother of her current protégé, Hiro. But what had affected her the most, was that she lost her friend to another apparent accident. It made her number, it made her steel herself and even less expressive or willing to become invested in anyone as she did with Bob Aken or the Callaghan's.

It was only her recent mentorship and interest in guiding the young genius, Hiro, that she even began to allow herself to become attached again. Robert and Abigail's "deaths" further reinforced her belief that limitations and controls must be in place, so that mishaps would not occur… lest they harm or take lives away. At the time, she felt that she needed to take her friend's place at SFIT as the head professor, to continue his work. Although it was painful to return, she felt that she wanted to honor his memory and continue their passion for shaping the world alongside their students.

But life is bizarre. Even to this day, she has yet to truly process that not only is her old friend alive, but that he set in motion the events that led to his own protégé's death. She was finding it difficult to believe that a good man like him, would be willing to harm his own students and seek to take another's life. His grief had changed him to someone unrecognizable. To Grace, the "real" Robert Callaghan died along with the "death" of his daughter, Abigail. It is why she has not even brought herself to see him now, it hurt her to think of what he had become. That was not the Robert she remembered, that was not Gale's husband or Abigail's father. He had become a man consumed with the hatred that filled the empty void, the emptiness that came from longing what he had lost.

Perhaps she was numbing herself further from the possible truth, afraid of the possibility that the old Robert Callaghan came back along with Abigail's return. If this were the case, she would not want to think about the level of anguish he must be in now. Wracked with guilt over the lives he harmed in the wake of his pursuit for retribution. But for too long, she has not been able to approach him and now so much has transpired since he last actually spoke to her honestly. She wondered if she could even reconnect with her old friend.

Granville then realized she had been breathing heavier and running at a faster pace, almost as if her body was trying to process her stress with increasing physical intensity. She began slowing down to calm herself down. It was painful revisiting those memories and thinking about what had become of her friend. But perhaps Abigail was right, perhaps this project could be the catalyst that will begin the healing process for the many who were affected by the Silent Sparrow accident.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I enjoy writing this chapter, it had been written even before the recent chapters but when I revisited it to fully publish it, I felt that it needed expanding. And thankfully, it gave me the opportunity to flesh out a backstory on the history and friendship between Granville and Callaghan. How each of their traumas were perceived and how it shaped them to their current personalities. Hope you enjoyed it. Thanks for reading!


	10. Rival Vectors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail meets Hiro's precocious rival

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Not sure if I will be able to maintain the same tempo bringing these out as much as I'd like, personal family issues going on. But, I'm still going to try to put them out and I'm usually brainstorming on it anyways when I get the chance. Abigail is a fun character for me to write, actually wish she would appear in the actual series.
> 
> But I really hope you guys are enjoying this series, thanks for the read and please leave a review if there is anything you'd like me to improve, what you liked or where you'd like this series to go.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series

Chapter 10: Rival Vectors

After their meeting with Professor Granville, Hiro, Abigail and Baymax were walking through the hall to head in the direction of the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab. Excited for Abigail to meet his friends, the young boy walked backwards as he talked to Abigail, "Come on, I bet it will be nostalgic for you to see the robotics lab again. You can meet the-" Around the corner of an adjacent hall, another young prodigy bumped into the boy as she turned the corner. Her stack of books in her hands crashing to the floor.

"Oh, sorry!" Hiro exclaimed apologetically, turning around to immediately recognize the familiar brown-haired young girl with olive tan skin and her distinct cream-colored turtleneck sweater. "Hiro! Watch where you're going!" Karmi yelled as she knelt down to get her books. "Oh, now I'm not so sorry anymore," Hiro's apologetic expression instantly switched to one of annoyance. Despite his reaction, the young boy still knelt down to help pick up some of her books. Karmi quickly snatched them from his hands.

"/Yes, Hiro. It is advisable to look where you are walking to avoid hazards or accidents,/" Baymax chimed in. Scooping the last of her books near her, Karmi exclaimed snidely, "See, even your own robot agrees with me. Thank you, Baymax." The healthcare companion simply responded, "You are welcome." Hiro's face scowled with annoyance, then sharply shot back with a smug look, "Yeah, he wasn't kidding about avoiding hazards."

Karmi quickly stood up to look at Hiro, "What did you say?!" But to Karmi's surprise, besides the boy was an unfamiliar woman holding out one of her books to return it to her. Karmi looked at the young woman, quickly simmering down to calmly take the last book from the stranger. "Oh, thanks."

Abigail stood up and smiled as she looked at the two teenage college students, noting that the girl was probably not that much older than Hiro. She was impressed that another prodigy was attending SFIT. She asked Hiro playfully, "Looks like you two are quite fond of each other. Who's your friend, Hiro?"

"Friend?!" They both exclaimed simultaneously. Their obvious flustration and sudden synchronized response was comical to Abigail, who stifled her laugh but smiled at the two teenager college students. They looked at each other with visible annoyance and disdain.

"Well, either way. It's still a pleasure to meet you, I'm Abigail," Abigail confidently approached Karmi with her hand outstretched, to which Karmi briefly got startled and was taken aback. She awkwardly stared at Abigail's hand for a moment, not prepared for her sudden greeting up close. "It's good to see that SFIT is getting students who are younger and younger. Certainly weren't any teenage prodigies back when I attended."

Karmi was pleasantly surprised to hear the professional-looking woman being an alumnus of SFIT. Feeling a bit more comfortable at this, she placed her books down in a neat stack and stepped forward to meet Abigail's extended hand. She shook Abigail's hand sheepishly, "I'm Karmi, nice to meet you too."

Suddenly, Hiro interrupted their introduction, "Yeah… well, Karmi used to be the youngest student attending SFIT." His face was smug, crossing his arms as he snidely emphasized the word, "used to." Karmi's formal expression to Abigail quickly transitioned to one of annoyance as she looked at her younger classmate. "Well, at least I don't have to run around getting cappuccinos, picking up dry-cleaning and carrying large costumes for "who-knows-why" at my internship," the young student shot back at the boy.

"Well, if you must know. I do have a lab of my own at Krei Tech Industries and Mr. Krei gives me every resource I could possibly-," Hiro looked at her smirking, an annoyed competitiveness in his tone until he was cut off by Karmi. "Well, I don't have to know, so don't care." The young boy got flustered and visibly frustrated at her dismissal. During this whole interaction, Abigail was stifling herself from laughing out loud at Hiro's reactions to the young girl. Karmi continued snidely, "But I will have you know that Liv gave me my personalized lab already, it was far larger than the one you saw."

"Okay, okay, you two. Let's play nice," Abigail decided to step in. But she was interested in getting to know what was Karmi's story being here at SFIT at such a young age like Hiro. She noted that she must have bright potential to be here at her age and surprised at her mentioning a rather high-profile name. "Karmi, you mentioned you work with Liv, as in Liv Amara?" Abigail inquired of the young girl. Hiro scoffed and stepped away, pulling out his phone and pressing away at it to look like he didn't care for their conversation anymore.

Karmi was delighted at her sudden interest and the opportunity to talk about her work, "Yes. The Liv Amara, the CEO of Sycorax. She gave me an internship there and mentors me directly." Abigail whistled musically in amusement, impressed solely from her involvement with Ms. Amara, whose successful reputation surrounds her work. "Very impressive, then I take it you are a Biotech major?" Karmi nodded, a smile on her face at her recognition of this feat.

"Hmm. An old colleague of mine was a Biotech major when we were here. He's not in the private sector anymore in companies like Sycorax though. He currently works with the defense department on special projects for SDARPA (Self Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). Not my area of expertise, but in my circles, you meet folks who spearhead pioneering projects in their respective fields." Karmi smiled, noticing that Abigail did seem to have a vested interest and respect for the field of biotechnology unlike other current students here. Not to mention, Karmi was aware that SDARPA projects in biotechnology are constantly fast growing with massive funding. She was excited to hear more.

"That's impressive! If you don't mind me asking, what kind of projects does he work on?" Karmi exclaimed, obviously excited to talk to someone about her field. "Hmm. Let's see, what is an unclassified project he told me about… Oh yes! Forgive me if I am not explaining it like he did… but he was working on a research program to enhance host tolerance against known and unknown pathogens." Abigail explained, pausing to remember what her colleague had told her. "His work mostly involved identifying biological mechanisms of tolerance, making it possible for the military and counter-bioterrorism agencies to be more capable of weathering infectious diseases."

"That is so cool! I can see how approaching in that way could bolster human tolerance in an emerging disaster or sudden epidemic, especially if there isn't any priori knowledge of an emerging pathogen!" Karmi exclaimed, trying to hold back her excitement since her voice was echoing throughout the halls. "Hmm. I believe that's almost exactly what he said about it too," Abigail smiled, impressed with the young girl's level of insight. "Well, actually I've been working on a similar issue but from the opposite side of the spectrum. I've been experimenting with viral vectors to reprogram the DNA sequencing of harmful pathogens to render them harmless to the human body, even with adaptive drug-resistant organisms! If you can't bolster tolerance, then we can at least reprogram pathogens to be harmless or even beneficial!" the young girl was so giddy to be able to explain her current projects. "/You should breathe,/" Baymax chimed in, prompting Karmi to catch her breath.

Abigail smiled, knowing that the girl had great potential for her field, "Well, if you ever want to move out of the private sector, after SFIT and Sycorax. Contact me, I can get you in touch with him and his program team. He's always happy to take young, passionate up and coming researchers. Wouldn't be surprised if you helped them make great strides in their biotech projects, not to mention that you would be working on special projects that perhaps even Sycorax is not focused on. Their work affects global health and improves lives in rather challenging areas. Only if you'd want to, but please consider it." Abigail sifted through the inside pocket of her small purse, pulling out her personal business card and handing it to Karmi, whose eyes were sparkling with gratitude. Hiro gasped in shock and promptly frowned at Abigail, looking at her like she was being traitorous for aiding his rival.

"Thank you so much, I will definitely think about it for the future," Karmi smiled genuinely, initially positioning herself awkwardly to offer a handshake. Abigail promptly returned the gesture, and Karmi reminded herself to be confident like Abigail. She was not usually ever able to approach social interactions comfortably, but she felt oddly comfortable and perhaps even inspired by the woman she just met. She noticed that Abigail had a self-assured and confident demeanor that reminded her of the qualities she also admires about Liv.

"Of course, I enjoy helping young minds who will shape the future," Abigail smiled warmly. She quickly turned to Hiro with a playfully conniving expression and a scheming smile, the boy was already scowling at her for their amicable interaction together. Abigail returned to face Karmi, "Say… you wouldn't happen to be the same Karmi as in 'KHeartsQT?'" Immediately, Hiro narrowed his eyes at Abigail, sighing, "Oh no." Baymax looked to the young boy, almost as if he was surprised that he used Baymax's distinct response. Almost louder than she had been about their biotech conversation, Karmi suddenly leaped up and put her hands on her face in astonishment, "Yes! Oh my! You've read my Big Hero 6 fan-fiction! How do you like it?!" Hiro was still audibly sighing, inching himself away from the two ladies.

"Are you kidding me? I love it! I did my best to keep up with them when I was overseas! But, I have to ask… did you really meet Captain Cutie? What was it like?!" Abigail responded enthusiastically, attempting to emulate Karmi's fangirl energy. "Would you believe me if I said he really did heroically and romantically save me from the crazy knife lady on Akuma Island?! Oh! And! He knows my name! And I even got to hug him, and he told me I saved the day once!" Karmi squealed, her face becoming flushed but still maintaining her day-dreamy, fangirl energy to Abigail's amusement. Abigail was attempting to control herself, looking towards Hiro with a smug face. "That's so romantic! No way! You guys hugged? Wow! You don't say…" Abigail exclaimed with exaggerated surprise as she smiled at the flushed Hiro, who promptly put his blue hood over himself in embarrassment.

"Ugh, yeah…I'm going to… go grab some snacks…" Hiro muttered to himself, his hood covering his face as he turned away and reaching to grab Baymax to come with him. Abigail watched as the boy hid his flustered face, walking off to a vending machine to get gummy bears. "He just doesn't understand quality storytelling," Karmi laughed triumphantly, sticking her tongue out towards the boy.

"You guys have quite the rivalry going on," Abigail noted to Karmi. "Yeah, well it's his fault he's so annoying. He's always, 'Hey look at me, I'm a fourteen-year-old boy genius.' We get it, you're smart… and tiny," Karmi exclaimed in annoyance. But then she had to wonder, "No offense to you, but why are you hanging around a loser like that kid?"

Abigail smiled, looking towards the boy who was now distracting himself eating gummy bears. "I guess you can say that I owe a debt of gratitude to Hiro and his family. But to be honest, he's good company. I've come to see him more like a kid brother... a snarky, wise-cracking one but still I enjoy hanging out with him," Abigail admitted, much to Karmi's surprise.

"Ugh, how can you enjoy hanging out with him, doesn't he get on your nerves?" Karmi exclaimed, confused on why someone like Abigail would enjoy being around her rival. "Not at all. He's actually a good kid. He may annoy you or challenge you, but I hope you'll get to actually be friends with each other. You'd be surprised how time can change things," Abigail said, much to Karmi's dismay, seemingly visibly disgusted at the thought they could be actual friends. Everyone like Professor Granville seems to want her to be friends with the boy. But Karmi, in such a short time, already respected Abigail enough to hear her out.

Abigail continued, "For example! My colleague at SDARPA? He and I used to hate each other's guts and were quite the heated rivals constantly challenging each other here at SFIT. He was always so keen to make it known of what he had accomplished, especially when he earned his PhD in biotechnology research faster than anyone else in his field. He would emphasize that he wanted to be referred to as 'Dr. Aiden Matsuda,' even when we were just casually dining out."

Abigail paused and rolled her eyes at merely saying his name, hints of a rivalry that continues. But Karmi's eyes widened with surprise upon hearing the name, in her field he was considered a pioneer despite being relatively younger than most established researchers. "Wait, so you were rivals with the Dr. Matsuda?! As in THE Dr. Matsuda, the young head researcher who pioneered adaptive synthetic biomanufacturing engineering?!"

Abigail sighed exhaustively but she was glad that this might really make Karmi consider working with her colleague after she graduates SFIT and finishes her Sycorax internship. "Yeah, people give that reaction all the time... But honestly, he has earned the recognition he's got. Insufferable as he can be at times, he's a good person. In time we've learned...well sort of... to recognize that we excel at our own fields and respect each other's passions."

Abigail chuckled at the thought of her memories, "We actually became very close friends, something we never expected. But don't get me wrong, we'll still try to one up each other somehow." Karmi smiled, appreciating how honest Abigail was.

"All I'm saying is it may take time, but I have a feeling you and Hiro won't be too far off from us. Just like Aiden and I, you and Hiro appear to be similar in more ways than you'd like to admit. He can be snarky and cocky at times, but beyond his intellect he is a nice guy," Abigail explained, chuckling at Karmi's repulsive reaction to her implying they could be friends.

"But if all else, remember that even though he's a young boy genius, that doesn't change the fact that you are a young biotech prodigy in your own right with a bright future. A friendly rivalry that challenges you to be better is far more rewarding than a hostile one, trust me," Abigail advised, she wanted to reassure the young student to be more secure about herself and her accomplishments.

"Oh, but just to throw it out there. He's only a head researcher in SDARPA now, because I hooked him up with the right people in defense biotech research due to my connections with other government agencies. The grant funding and resources he has now definitely gives him more creative freedom than he had in the private sector that required constant investments," Abigail pointed out with pride, implying that her rival wouldn't have gotten as far as he had without her.

Karmi laughed along with Abigail. Although she couldn't truly see things with her rival the same way Abigail advised, she did respect the woman's insight and willingness to support Karmi's development, even after just meeting each other. "Thank you, Ms. Abigail. I will... definitely consider everything you've said."

"Please Karmi, you can call me Abby," she told her warmly. "Oh, okay... umm... thanks Ms. Abby," Karmi fumbled as she attempted to address her more personally, but Karmi hasn't had anyone she could personally call by their nickname. Abigail had already noted that the young girl was not as socially developed and insecure around social interactions, a trait that seems to be a price for having unbridled intellect far beyond your peers.

"Geez, you're just like Hiro," Abigail laughed at their shared awkwardness and unwillingness to even call her "Abby." Karmi got immediately flustered, "I am not like that kid!" She continued to laugh playfully but was pleasantly surprised as Karmi cued herself to stand tall with some confidence in her expression.

Karmi took a deep breath, outstretching her hand towards Abigail, "Thank you for the advice... Abby. I enjoyed our conversation, I hope that we can chat again." Aside from Liv, Karmi never really felt comfortable around most people but Abigail seemed like a pleasant exception.

Of course, Abigail still noticed that Karmi was forcing herself to try to be comfortable. But she was oddly proud of her, she surmised that if the young girl was like Hiro, she needed some social guidance and encouragement. Although Hiro could be awkward at times, Abigail knew that he was more sociable thanks to having Tadashi and the Big Hero 6 crew. Oddly enough, Abigail felt that she could help this young biotech prodigy to warm up as well.

"You are just adorable! Of course, Karmi, I would like that very much!" Abigail forewent Karmi's gesture to handshake, bypassing it to give her a sudden hug. Karmi's body stiffened with visible awkwardness to Abigail's amusement. Karmi laughed uneasily, not knowing what to do so she timidly patted Abigail in the back a few times, "Oh, great! Well... I have to get back to the biolab so..."

Abigail laughed as she released young girl, "I see you're not a hugger! Well, I'll leave you to it." Karmi just laughed nervously, as Abigail smiled and reached her hand out seriously this time. "It was a pleasure to meet you, Karmi. I would love to chat more with you sometime. About anything you'd like to, from biotech, your fan-fiction, Captain Cutie, a certain young boy genius…"

Karmi laughed but met Abigail's handshake notably more warmly. "Thank you... Abby. I'd like that too. Well, I'll be off now!" Abigail watched as the young girl picked up her neatly stacked books on the floor and walked off in the direction of the campus biolab. Abigail turned to see Hiro sitting at a table glaring at her with narrowed, unamused eyes, still eating gummy bears. She could see three other empty bags of gummy bears, realizing the boy must've gone through them in his flustered frustration for the whole duration of their conversation. Abigail walked towards him, putting her hands up in a feigned attempt to calm the boy.

"Wow. That's quite the expression you're giving me. And I thought the whole stress-eating was just an Aunt Cass thing?" Abigail laughed playfully, reaching to grab one of the young boy's gummy bears. He playfully snatched the bag back away from her, "Well, that's the expression you give when your friend aids the 'enemy.' And it's not the same! It's 'stress snacking…'" He paused to reach for another gummy bear, keeping it away from Abigail and putting one in his mouth chewing emphatically. "Just glad you're done talking to your 'BFF.'"

"Well, she might be your 'BFF' someday…" Abigail smirked, Hiro bursting out with indignation. "What?! Why would I ever be 'BFF's' with her, she is just the worst! What were you guys even talking about for you to even think that?!" She laughed at his over-the-top reaction, "Let's just say I think you guys will get close someday, you guys have way too many similarities and that's probably why you think she's insufferable and she does you. But a close friend of mine had the same rivalry with me. It's more on friendlier terms now and we mutually challenge each other to improve, but not that we feel the need to really compare ourselves like before."

"Yeah, that's probably not going to happen," the young boy dismissed it immediately, shuddering as if the thought of actually being friends with Karmi was disturbing. "Well, you never know. She seems like a good person at heart, maybe a little rough around the edges but same can be said for you and me. Give her a chance, she might grow on you," Abigail advised, the boy sighed seeing what she was trying to do for him and Karmi. He pulled his hood back. "You're like Granville, you know that? You're not going to give up on this, are you?" he muttered in annoyance. Abigail simply responded gleefully, "Nope."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well! I wasn't sure about even putting Karmi in this series but then realized I had the opportunity to try to expand her character a bit more. I'm most likely not going to enter the realm of HiroxKarmi shipping, I think it helps keep my story a bit more plausible to the canon since they haven't overtly done so. But, I rather set them more on course towards being civil and friendly with each other as a beneficial friendly rivalry.
> 
> Plus, I can't do them justice like Arctimon's work or my favorite fanfic, the "Could Be More" series by Crystalmoon101. Please check out their work if you haven't already!
> 
> With that being said, the aforementioned fanfics helped me appreciate Karmi's potential as a character more. And she will probably get more characterization. And she will have to face the inevitable fallout with Liv Amara in the actual series, so I wanted to give her a possible future career pathway and even a role model in Abigail as a strong female figure as a supportive buffer to prepare for things to come after that whole Liv Amara reveal goes down.


	11. Assistance with Little Resistance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro takes Abigail to the robotics lab to introduce her to the team.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Sorry this one took a while to get together, had a recent death in the family and it’s been a bit hard to write. But been wanting to move this forward again. I hope you enjoy, thank you for the read!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.

The Penitent Sparrow  
Chapter 11: Assistance with Little Resistance

Walking through the open plaza of the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology campus, Hiro, Abigail and their personal healthcare companion were nearing the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab. Abigail smiled, feeling nostalgic to see the building again. It was a very familiar, almost home- like setting for the both of them, but it had been some time since she had last visited it. 

Hiro spun around to face Abigail, continuing to walk backwards towards the robotics lab building and pointing back at it with his thumb, “Well, how about I introduce you to people who are actually fun to be around?” Hiro was still comically displeased with Abigail meeting Karmi and befriending her, let alone her helping his precocious rival.

Abigail rolled her eyes at the young boy, smiling at his insistence that she not interact with Karmi or that she stops pushing for the two child prodigies to be actual friends. “Still a little upset about your ‘BFF’ I see. Well, I will say that I am definitely looking forward to meeting yours and Tadashi’s close friends,” she admitted, following the young prodigy up the steps to the main entrance. His face becoming amused at her calling Karmi his “BFF.”

As they approached the building, Abigail admitted that she was not certain how she would feel meeting his friends, her father’s former students. But she certainly felt she owed them a debt of gratitude for doing all that they could to stop her father from doing something that he might never have been able to return from, intentionally taking another life out of hatred and grief. Not only did they save Alistair’s life, but they prevented her father from going down a path that may never be redeemable. They stopped him from allowing him to sink deeper and become someone else entirely.

They walked through the main hall of the Ito Ishioka Robotics Lab building, stepping into the elevator to get to their floor. Hiro sharply raised his hand up to get Abigail’s attention, copy the same motion Baymax makes when he announces or informs others. “Word of warning, some of them can be… especially friendly and colorful,” Hiro informed Abigail as their elevator was ascending to the right floor. 

“Well, sounds like my kind of company! You already introduced me to your Aunt Cass, not sure if you can get more friendly and colorful than that?” Abigail mused, laughing at the boy’s friendly “public safety announcement.” Hiro laughed, “Yeah that’s true, but could still be a bit overwhelming when you meet them all at once I’m sure. So, I hope you’re ready.”

Exiting the elevator together, they moved towards the door leading to the main open lab that his friends often used or simply spent time together in to decompress in between classes. As they opened the door, suddenly a white ping pong ball zoomed towards them. “Heads up!” a sharp, female voice rang out. Hiro quickly ducked under to narrowly dodge the incoming ball speeding towards him. However, Abigail casually reacted with speed and accuracy, catching the ball calmly in her hand.  
“Whoah, nice catch!” yelled a shaggy looking young man, who was sprawled along the floor as if he had just dived sideways towards the ground. It was apparent that the unkempt young man attempted to dive dramatically to hit the ping pong ball. Based on the speed it was incoming, it was also apparent that it was spiked by the short-statured young woman, who was standing casually on the other side of the table triumphantly. 

Gogo walked past the ping pong table and casually by Fred, looking down at him, “You going to greet our guest from down there?” At this point, Fred hopped up quickly, “Oh, right. Excuse me. Where are my manners?” The lean young man quickly closed the distance with Abigail, who was surprised at his sudden burst of enthusiasm. 

“Bonjour, señorita! That’s French for ‘My name is Fred, nice to meet you!’” Fred bowed his head, bending at the waist as if he was greeting royalty. “Yeah, it was a nice try at least, Fred,” Gogo remarked sardonically, noting that he had spoken two words from two different languages and mistranslated them at that. Abigail smiled, replying promptly, “Bonjour! Je m’appelle Abigail, je suis très heureuse de faire votre connaissance.” (Rough French Translation: I am Abigail, it’s nice to meet you.)

Fred’s face suddenly became shocked and confusedly blank, “Sorry, I don’t speak Spanish… yet. But I’m going to guess you said ‘hello.’ It’s a pleasure to meet-“ He was suddenly interrupted as a tall, lightly tanned woman in a yellow coat hopped between them, exploding with cheerful energy as she got closer to Abigail, “Oh my gosh, you must be Abigail! Hiro told us about you. I am so glad to finally meet you!” 

Honey Lemon enthusiastically grabbed Abigail’s hand with two of hers, quickly yanking her down with an exaggerated handshake. Abigail’s eyes widened but she immediately caught her balance and chuckled heartfully at the new acquaintance’s warm and energetic greeting. “You can call me Honey Lemon!”

“Thank you! It’s a pleasure to meet you too, Honey Lemon. You can call me, Abby,” Abigail smiled warmly, enjoying her energy and quickly being reminded of the level of enthusiasm that she seems to share with Aunt Cass. Hiro wasn’t kidding about how colorful they could be. 

“Really?! We’re going to be good buddies, Abby! I can just tell!” Honey Lemon exclaimed, quickly giving Abigail a hug and pleased that she was not taken aback at her gesture. Abigail looked down smiling at Hiro as she was still being embraced, “See, she gets me!” She laughed as she remarked that finally someone was comfortable enough to call her by her more personal nickname.

Abigail smiled towards Honey Lemon, “Anyone ever tell you that you’re such a bright bundle of joy? Your energy is contagious!” Honey Lemon was even more spritely, “Well, it’s always fun to meet new friends! Let’s celebrate this moment, the day that we met.” Honey Lemon leaned in towards Abigail as she pulled out her Krei Tech cell phone, extending it out with her arm to take a selfie with Abigail. They both smiled widely and Honey Lemon quickly took a liberal amount of photographs. Abigail laughed, “You are going to have to send those to me please, Honey Lemon.” 

“Well, told you they would be colorful, right?” Hiro stepped forward, pleased with their sudden, warm introduction to Abigail. Hiro remembered how it was to meet each of them for the first time when Tadashi took him to the lab. Although somewhat intimidating or shy-inducing, it was still very warm and pleasant nonetheless. “Yeah. No kidding! My kind of crowd I have to admit,” Abigail laughed, her gaze now shifting towards the young woman standing casually besides her two new acquaintances as she chewed gum. 

Gogo blew a bubble with her pink gum, promptly popping it. “You’ll fit right in then,” she said as she casually chewed her gum. “Just don’t expect me to be a bundle of joy. Honey Lemon has enough ‘joy’ to cover for me.” Hiro stepped in to introduce Abigail to her, “And that’s Gogo.” She casually nodded at Abigail, simply saying, “Hey.” 

Abigail smiled confidently, walking tall and proudly towards Gogo, she outstretched her hand towards her. Gogo met her hands, both noting that they were both firmly gripping each other’s hands and approaching each other confidently. It was as if without even speaking, they both could sense their womanly strength that they share alike. A mutually respectful smirk was shared between them, Abigail responding in kind, “’Hey’ to you too.”

Suddenly, one of the entrance doors burst open. Promptly stepping in was a burly, well-built man with a dark complexion and a distinctly green sweater. But his tone and seemingly neurotic mannerisms were decidedly ironic to his strong appearance. It made for an interesting contrast that seemingly characterized Wasabi’s personality. 

“Fred, you really shouldn’t eat pizza around my tool set. I had to clean some of my tools five times before it felt the- Oh, hello there,” Wasabi immediately noticed everyone huddled around the relatively new face. Waving his hand to her, he yelled across the lab, “Pardon me, I will be there in a bit.” 

He held his index finger in the air gesturing to ask for a moment, walking to his highly-organized tool tray to place his small precision tools back in their intended silhouetted spot. He was extremely meticulous and took a considerable amount of time placing his tools correctly. This made for an awkward pause as they all watched and waited for him to finish. Certainly, Wasabi wanted to greet Abigail right away out of courtesy, but he compulsively did not want to have his tools misplaced if he didn’t return it right at that moment.

“And that’s Wasabi,” Hiro informed Abigail with his hand casually pointing towards the last member’s direction. The young boy tip-toed towards Abigail’s ear, whispering playfully, “He’s kind of really a neat and clean freak. And he gets startled pretty easily. So, watch what you do. Or not, if you want to get a kick out of it...” She smiled as she noticed Wasabi use a hand sanitizer before he came up to greet her, “Yeah, kind of noticed that.” 

Wasabi promptly stood in front of Abigail, they both shook hands cordially, “Pleasure to meet you. I’m Wasabi.” Abigail smiled warmly, “Hey Wasabi, I’m glad I can meet you. I’m Abigail. But, by the way, I like how organized and precise your tool organizer is. Knew a few aerospace engineers overseas who had a similar system, never lost a piece or they’d go crazy.” Abigail chuckled softly.

At that, Wasabi’s face brightened up, “Thanks! Well, sounds like classy people I would get along with! And that? I got it from the ‘Organized Gentleman’ in downtown San Fransokyo! Thanks to it, there’s a place for everything, so I make sure everything has to be in its place. Without it, I would definitely freak out all the time.” 

Gogo’s gum blown into a bubble and abruptly popped, she chimed in, “Yeah but you freak out all the time anyways.” Wasabi gasped, “No, I don’t!” Everyone just looked at him with narrowed eyes, all of them knowing better. Wasabi sighed, “Okay, you got me there.” They all smiled, the whole group now standing together before Abigail. Hiro enthusiastically ran to their side to introduce them as a whole, waving his arms towards them, “Looks like you met everyone. Well… this is the gang!”

Abigail smirked as she stepped back, her hand resting on her mouth as she appeared to be thinking, “Hmm. Now that I see all of you at once, I can tell you guys really are the Big Hero 6 team.” She gazed at them, in her mind she was visualizing each of their superhero appearances and comparing them to their current, casual selves. All of the members looked towards each other, not entirely surprised that she would recognize them but fairly concerned what this would mean. 

With the exception of Fred, who was completely incredulous, “What?! How did she know we were ‘us’? There must be a shadow spy informant selling our secrets out there…” Gogo stepped forward, “Yeah, probably not. She knew Hiro’s identity, not surprising she knows ours.” Wasabi chimed in, poignantly pointing out, “Yeah, I figure if someone knows at least one of our real identities, then it wouldn’t take much work to learn all of ours. I mean, we’re always around each other and our group is six people.” Fred responded matter-of-factly, “Well, technically seven when Mini-Max is with us.”

Despite their banter, Abigail could tell by their expressions and their body language that they were concerned about her awareness of their identities. She placed her hands in front of her disarmingly to reassure them, “Rest assured. Just like Hiro’s, all of your identities are safe with me. I have no intention of endangering your identities. I am here partly because I feel that I owe all of you a debt of gratitude. I simply wanted to thank you all for what you did for me. It’s an honor to finally meet you all and finally thank you in person.” There were sighs of relief heard collectively among the group, Honey Lemon speaking for them, “Well, we are just glad that you were able to return safely, Abby.”

Abigail smiled warmly, she couldn’t help but notice that their appearance, even their personalities, seem to line up well with what she knew of their superhero alter-egos. She noted, “Well, seeing you guys now… I’m surprised you guys could even hide your identity at all. You guys don’t look too far off from your crime-fighting personas. With the exception being you, Fred. Your Kaiju suit makes you rather incognito.”

Fred jumped forward, with his chest tall and his hands on his hips, he stood heroically, “That’s because I am totally incognito in my ‘Fredzilla mode.’ It’s nothing like my real body, so no one can recognize me… Oh! But sometimes I really wish it could be my real boddy! Wouldn’t that be awesome?! But I would want to be able to control my transformation on and off, you know? Would be kind of weird if I was stuck as a Kaiju all the time… couldn’t go order food at noodle burger anymore without scaring people…” Fred’s expression showing that he was deep in thought. Even if you could not read his mind, it was easy to tell that he was daydreaming what it would be like to actually be a living Kaiju monster casually enjoying life in San Fransokyo.

The whole group simply stared weirdly at Fred, Gogo snidely commenting, “You’d be weird in any form, Fred.” They all chuckled. “Actually Fred, you take your helmet off in public pretty often. If any one of us has their identity more known, it would probably be you,” Wasabi aptly noted. “Well, it’s a good thing he has Mini-Max to look out for you, Freddy!” Honey Lemon pleasantly pointed out. Abigail could sense from the start that they were all very close and she enjoyed the friendly atmosphere they formed in their interactions.

“But meeting you all in person, seeing how you are. Somehow, I can tell that it suits you all, to do what you do out there for San Fransokyo,” Abigail spoke genuinely, she could tell that just like Hiro and Tadashi, they all wanted to help people with their skills and intellect. “As I told Hiro, I find it unfortunate that you all never get to be personally thanked by those you help. Even though the public thanks the ‘Big Hero 6’ you, they never get the chance to thank the real you. So Fred. Honey Lemon. Gogo. Wasabi. Thank you for all you do, and what you did for me.” They all looked to each other, they were moved by her words and appreciated the gratitude she was conveying not only from herself. They never set out to be superheroes for the recognition and even if it was truly a thankless job, they would still do it because it is the right thing to do. “Thank you, Abby. That means a lot to us,” Honey Lemon responded in kind for the group.

But a question still remained, how was it that she knew who Hiro was? And by extension she would learn their identities too. As usual with Gogo’s straightforward nature, she asked what they all wondered, “Tell us. How is it that you know our identities?” They all looked curiously at Abigail, quietly awaiting her response. Abigail took a moment to gather herself. After all, it was through her father that she was able to seek out Hiro and Baymax. But bringing up her father, their former professor, was a sensitive subject and she felt that she needed to tread carefully. 

Despite her usually confident appearance, Abigail was actually quite uncomfortable trying to explain to all of them why she really sought out Hiro. In approaching Krei and Granville, or even Hiro, she had known them enough to find the right way to approach them individually. But for the rest of the Big Hero 6 team, she did not have the time nor the foresight to be able to learn each person’s motivations or perspective, to plan on what barriers she may face in discussing her true plans and their potential responses. She had to trust that having Hiro on board would help to explain it to them and hope that they will receive it positively. 

Hiro sensed this, noting that she seemed uncharacteristically hesitant compared to how she had been with Mr. Krei or Professor Granville. He and Abigail were embarking on a special project, one that could potentially put himself at risk too. Due to this, his friends deserved to know what he was getting himself into. He knew that he would have to inform his team. The boy stepped in, “It was through her father, Professor Callaghan… She realized that he knew my identity, so she approached him and learned my identity so that she could thank me and Baymax personally.” 

Abigail looked to Hiro, surprised at his being so forward. The young boy continued to explain to his team, “But on top of that, she also seeks to make amends for everything that happened after she was trapped on the other side. And she… she knew Tadashi personally. She wants to honor him, so she approached me about a special project of sorts-” Abigail raised her hand to Hiro, thanking him and indicating that she should be the one to explain the rest. Hiro nodded, letting her take the stage.

“When I learned that the one who saved me was also the younger brother of Tadashi, I realized that I needed to do something for him, for Tadashi. It pains me that my father caused his death, but even more so because my father revered Tadashi almost like he was his own son. And in a way, I regarded him as a brother. His creation and his brother saved me, I owe it to them to help Tadashi’s memory live on and to repay the kindness his creation afforded me. I…We plan to recreate Project Silent Sparrow and retrieve Tadashi’s Baymax from that strange place. Baymax was lost to you all, lost to Hiro, because they risked themselves to save me. I owe it to you all to return your friend.”

The Big Hero 6 team all collectively gasped, shocked at this development and processing the revealing of her intentions. Ever since the conclusion of Project Silent Sparrow’s collapse at the Krei Tech Industries headquarters and her subsequent rescue, they had never anticipated this could happen. They had never thought they would ever get the chance to see Abigail since her rescue, nor that she would actively seek them out. Let alone, what she was proposing along with Hiro was a monumental undertaking. Not to mention, what it meant personally to them… what it meant to Hiro. Baymax was the link that brought Hiro back to them and carried on a part of Tadashi. They did share a sentimental connection to the first model with what they went through together after Tadashi’s passing.

Seeing his team process the news, Hiro continued after Abigail, “Guys, I am going to help her out with this. I never thought I would be able to see that Baymax again… he was the model that Tadashi labored tirelessly to build… We may still have Baymax with us through his chip, but that Baymax also represents a part of Tadashi’s legacy and we have the opportunity to bring Baymax back from that place. I understand if you guys might have reservations or concerns, but I am completely devoted to this and absolutely nothing will change that. For Tadashi, I need to do this. And you don’t have to help us or even agree that it should be attempted, but it would mean a lot to me if you guys worked on this with Abigail and I.”

They all were deep in thought, but they certainly knew where they were all leaning towards. Ultimately, it didn’t take long for Gogo to step up and answer for all of them, “Like you even have to ask. We’re in. Tadashi was our best friend, and we want to keep his memory alive every way we can. We’ll help you get Baymax back.” Gogo looked towards the young boy with certainty and conviction that they would help him. She turned to looked towards Abigail, nodding to her. Abigail smiled, nodding back to her with gratitude. Everyone else nodded in agreement. “This is going to be a daring rescue mission, guys!” Fred exclaimed excitedly at their new project. Honey Lemon happily moved to Hiro, giving him a swift joyful hug. “Aww! This is going to be great, Hiro! Having two Baymaxes! That would be double the hug cuteness!” Honey Lemon screamed in giddy excitement, she was positive that they would be successful in this endeavor.

“You can count me in. And I want to help… But honestly, what is the plan to even get this going? Don’t get me wrong, but I don’t think any of us has any experience or even a semblance of an idea how to recreate a portal to another dimension! It’s not exactly something we can just cook up from scratch?” Wasabi chimed in, with a not-so-subtle hint of concern. He was always one who did not want to dive into anything if there wasn’t even a plan to adhere to. However, he did bring up a poignant point to consider for the rest of the Big Hero 6 team. Even with their combined intellect and capabilities, was there even a possibility of recreating Project Silent Sparrow with what they had available? To their knowledge, the data was unavailable and the lab on Akuma Island that housed the project was disintegrated. Of that, they saw it occur personally during their rescue of Karmi from Momokase.

Hiro was relieved to see that his friends would support them, but he understood their concerns for how this will even be possible. “Thanks guys… It really means a lot to me, and I know that together we can do this. Even if we cook this up from scratch, we’ll have all of the ingredients we need, so to speak. We were able to convince Mr. Krei to pool his resources to fund for the materials and provide a classified location to operate out of,” Hiro explained, noticing how Fred was becoming increasingly excited. The others seemed surprised that they were able to get Mr. Krei to help them on this.

Hiro continued, “But… as for learning how to even build it, you are right, Wasabi. The project’s development data and Mr. Krei’s old lab on Akuma Island were all destroyed as part of the government’s cover-up plan.” He paused to take a breath, and the team was wondering if the boy genius had a solution to this issue. “And actually, we do have a potential solution in mind to work around that… This might be odd coming from me… but I propose we enlist Professor Callaghan’s help to rebuild Silent Sparrow. He was the last person to have studied the design schematics and was able to reconstruct it all on his own,” Hiro revealed, a sense of seriousness in his voice with an understanding of what he was proposing. 

Sure, Professor Callaghan did recreate the portal for his own desires to take everything away from Mr. Krei. But nonetheless, they had to recognize that their former mentor was the key to rebuilding Project Silent Sparrow. Naturally, everyone was shocked and immediately became concerned for the boy, they knew that it was painful for him at even the mentioning of Professor Callaghan. Gogo sharply pointed out, “Why not just get in contact with the team that originally designed it? They are the ones who made it in the first place.”

Hiro laughed softly, “Well, would you be surprised to hear that they all hate Mr. Krei with a passion and refuse to help him. Or that they would like to see him behind bars?” Everyone looked at each other frowning, quickly sighing as there was not any doubt that this was probably the case. “And… that’s not surprising. Money can’t buy everything,” Gogo responded with annoyance, shaking her head. 

But they were concerned about having to work with Professor Callaghan, especially how difficult this will be for Hiro. Honey Lemon stepped forward and placed a hand on the boy’s shoulder. She was always very tender and caring with the young boy, concerned for his wellbeing. The tall, slender young woman leaned over to level with him, her voice conveying the concern shared among the team, “Are you sure you are okay with this, Hiro?”

Hiro looked up at Honey Lemon and smiled reassuringly, a hand meeting hers at his shoulder, “Yes… It wasn’t easy making that decision or even being the one to propose this, trust me. But I’ve given it a lot of thought. It’s the only viable way we can do this and… Baymax, well he’s family, he’s a part of Tadashi that still exists and he should continue Tadashi’s dream to help people in this world. Getting him back… means more to me.” The prospect of trying to convince Professor Callaghan and work with him was unsettling but getting Baymax meant more to him and collaborating with Callaghan was the only way to get him back.

They all nodded, understanding where Hiro was coming from and that he seemed to be certain in this. Undoubtedly, the young genius had considered every angle he could possibly look at. “That’s why we will be there to help you,” Gogo chimed in tersely and succinctly, she attempted to place her hand on Hiro’s shoulder, but it awkwardly hovered over his shoulder. “Yeah, still not a shoulder patter,” she lightly tapped Hiro’s shoulder uncomfortably as Honey Lemon and Hiro looked at her awkwardly. Then, she lightly punched the boy’s shoulder to his slightly painful surprise, “But never doubt us again that we would help you, genius boy.” 

It appeared that they all had collectively decided that they would all support this undertaking any way they could. Suddenly, Fred burst out, giddily as he embraced Wasabi with one arm over his shoulder, waving his arm as if it was revealing a great scene. “Oh, yeah! This is a classic ‘Phase 2’ story development! A blast from the past! A sudden appearance by a key person from our ‘origin story’ returns for a special mission that only the Big Hero 6 team could accomplish. And then… the plot twist! The first super villain returns, but we find our heroes forced to work with him as a possible ally. Could this even be a redemption story arc?” 

Wasabi quickly ducked under Fred’s arms, shuddering at the sudden physical contact by Fred since he thought the shaggy young man was not particularly clean and well-kept. “A plot twist, indeed, Mr. Frederickson,” a stern voice suddenly rang out from around the corner. They all looked to see that Professor Granville had walked into their lab. Everyone looked to her with surprise, simultaneously exclaiming, “Professor Granville!” It was apparent to the students that she had already understood the situation, but still found this as odd as when she casually allowed them to conduct their superhero business in front of her. They were still getting used to the idea that their own professor was always somehow involved or aware of their extracurricular activities.

Hiro and Abigail walked to meet the professor, wondering if she had made her decision on supporting the project. “Auntie Grace, I trust you were able to take the time to reach an answer?” Abigail inquired, curious yet confident. “Auntie Grace? So, they were related this whole time? Second plot twist!” Fred muttered in the background. Hiro looked towards Fred, shaking his head but smiling at his comic book-inspired antics. But along with Abigail, Hiro wanted to know what his professor had decided on. Professor Granville looked towards the two, her face was serious but seemingly certain of her position on this.

“Yes. I have been giving it some thought, Abby. Your father was a dear friend to me… and I still care for him. I think, perhaps, even he needs this to happen. But I especially hope this helps to heal you and Mr. Hamada after all that has happened to you two,” Professor Granville spoke without any sense of hesitation. Abigail and Hiro looked to each other, smiling and nodding at this development. “Mr. Hamada, Abby. You can count on my support. And besides, someone has to make sure you two will be safe and not take any rash, reckless and avoidable risks and reign you all in,” Professor Granville exclaimed, bending at the waist as her eyes and her words seemed to be aimed particularly at Hiro and Abby, having known both were prone to being reckless at times. Hiro and Abigail chuckled uneasily but were relieved that they had gotten the support of Professor Granville and the rest of the Big Hero 6 team.

“Thank you, Professor Granville,” Hiro smiled, rubbing the back of his head. “I’m pleased to have you aboard, Aunt Grace,” Abigail stepped in to give Granville a hug and was warmly reciprocated by the professor to the team’s surprise. The gang was not used to seeing Granville in any particularly warm mood, but they were glad to see their professor being involved. Professor Granville looked past them and towards the rest of the Big Hero 6 crew. “Students, you can consider this a special school project that I will be personally overseeing. I will afford you some leeway on normal assignments, but don’t expect too much and slack off. And I expect you all to put forth your best effort in assisting Abby and Mr. Hamada, as I will do the same.” All of her students agreed shortly, a look of determination surfacing among them.

Abigail could not be any more pleased, the pieces were all falling into place, thus far. Hiro and she have been able to gain the support of all who would comprise the new Silent Sparrow’s development team. Alistair Krei would provide the funding for materials, as well as developing the clandestine lab location. Of which he has already began construction with his specialized teams designing it and taking full advantage of the mass produced microbots that Hiro recreated to specifically expedite the site’s development. 

As the voice of strict reason, Professor Granville would provide her vast technical expertise and would personally oversee all control systems that will ensure that the operation is within acceptable risk levels at her standards. With her, she will be able to ensure that there would not be a repeat of the first Silent Sparrow’s technical failure. Finally, they now had the support of the entire Big Hero 6 team, who were arguably among the brightest that SFIT had to offer and each brilliant in their respective fields of study. Now, there was only one last component. For them, the only remaining piece was the one that this whole project hinged upon, Abigail’s father, Robert Callaghan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I also found it a bit difficult to add in the rest of the Big Hero 6 crew, it’s a lot of personalities to consider but it wouldn’t be Big Hero 6 without having them in the plot. Stay tuned!


	12. Shita-Kiri Suzume

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Abigail and Granville visit Professor Callaghan

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: I hope you are enjoying this series so far! Thank you again for keeping up with it. Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.

The Penitent Sparrow  
Chapter 12: Shita-Kiri Suzume (The Tongue-Cut Sparrow)

Granville and Abigail were driving on their way to the prison. But Abigail was silent as Granville drove, her mind was replaying a far-off memory that she had been fond of… it was a childhood memory of her father, who enjoyed telling her traditional folklore stories. It was her first time hearing this particular story.

“Ever heard the story of the ‘Tongue-Cut Sparrow,’ Abby?” her father asked the young Abigail, her face contorted at just hearing the title. The thought of a sparrow losing its tongue was already worrying yet made her curious. “This isn’t another scary story, right, Dad? Did you forget I am trying to sleep here?” the young girl asked. Although she was concerned, she was also playful with her father.

“It’s certainly not meant to be a scary story, and I promise that it will end well for the little sparrow. Would you like to hear it?” Robert tried to reassure his daughter, piquing her interest.   
“Okay!” she responded enthusiastically, looking to her father with attentive eyes.

“Alright. In a small village in Japan, there was a kind old man that lived alone. But he was not always alone, he was constantly visited by a little sparrow. It was not an ordinary sparrow, for the old man was able to teach it tricks and friendly gestures. The two had easily become great friends, looking forward to seeing each other each day when it came to visit,” Callaghan spoke softly, the young Abigail smiled at a promising start.

“But next door to his house, lived a wicked neighbor that did not like the sparrow nor that the old man was seemingly happier than he was. And one day, the sparrow had accidentally eaten the neighbor’s laundry starch, thinking it was meant for it to eat. The wicked neighbor took the opportunity to punish the little sparrow, who had been bowing to them apologetically. It was not enough for the neighbor, so they took the poor sparrow and cut out its tongue. The poor sparrow flew away,” he still spoke tenderly but looked to his daughter, who had gasped and covered her mouth with both her hands as if she was protecting her own tongue. “Dad! This is a scary story!”

Callaghan chuckled softly and calmed his daughter with a gentle touch of her shoulders, “Don’t worry, Abby. Remember that I said it ends well for the little sparrow?” The young Abigail pouted, but calmed down and awaited to hear the rest of the story.

“As you would expect, the kind old man became worried for his little friend that was no longer visiting. When he had asked his neighbor, they had told him what they did to the little sparrow. The old man was upset, but his concerns were more towards his little friend. So, he set out into the forest to look for the little sparrow,” Callaghan continued, looking to his daughter as she had become visibly excited at the anticipation that the old man would see the sparrow.

“Eventually, the old man had seen a path towards a house he had never noticed. He went there, hoping to ask the occupants if they saw a sparrow without its tongue. But when he knocked, he was surprised,” he explained, seeing his daughter smile. “The door had opened, and the old man was surprised to see that he was greeted by a family of sparrows who had seemed to recognize him. They immediately took him in and introduced him to their mother, who was the old man’s friend.” Abigail jumped shortly on her bed out of excitement. “Although he was delighted, he wondered how the sparrow was able to talk again. But the sparrow was truly no ordinary sparrow, but a mythical fairy sparrow. Its tongue had regrown as it had chosen to not allow the wicked neighbor’s brutal act to seed ill-will in the sparrow’s heart. Rather than seek vengeance, it wanted to heal and see her friend again.” 

“The family of sparrows and their mother were pleased to have their honored guest, they sang and enjoyed his stay. The old man was so happy, but even though they invited him to stay with them, he respectfully declined as he had to return home and continue working the fields. So, the sparrow wanted the old man to take home with him a gift, presenting the old man with two wicker baskets to choose from. One small, the other large.” Callaghan paused to catch his breath.

“The old man was modest, humble and kind, so he graciously accepted the smaller wicker basket. Thanking the sparrow and its family, he came back home to see that his friend had given him enough silver and gold to allow him to enjoy the rest of his days without having to break himself working the fields. But the wicked neighbor noticed this…” Abigail immediately frowned, not wanting to hear about the wicked neighbor again.

“Of course, the wicked neighbor became jealous and even thought the old man was a fool for not choosing the larger wicker basket, thinking that he would have been rich beyond imagination. The wicked neighbor sought out the sparrow, finding their house. The wicked neighbor did not think to ask for forgiveness and even demanded that they get what the old man got. The family of sparrows wanted to punish the wicked neighbor for what they did to their mother, the lady sparrow. But instead, the lady sparrow welcomed the wicked neighbor and even offered them the very same gifts that she offered to the kind old man. Of course, which do you think the neighbor chose?” Callaghan looked to his daughter, asking her what she thought happened.

“He chose the larger gift,” she responded with little thought. “That’s right. But it was far too large for the wicked neighbor, who tried to make their way back home. But they were too greedy and wanted to see how much gold and silver they had gotten compared to the kind old man. Stopping along the trail home, the wicked neighbor decided to open their gift. But to her surprise, there was no gold, no silver… but rather a horde of demons that… took her away,” Callaghan spoke, decidedly careful how he said the ending, but he could see that his daughter was upset.

“I thought you said the story ended well?” she pouted. “I’m sorry, little one. I did say that it would end well for the sparrow, who chose to continue her life with her family and the friendship she had with the old man. The lady sparrow even offer kindness to the wicked neighbor that cut her tongue, giving the neighbor a choice to redeem themselves. And certainly, for the kind old man, who had only wanted to enjoy the company of the sparrow and his kindness was unexpectedly met with good fortune,” Callaghan explained, trying to show her the moral to the story. The young girl pouted but tried to understand the story. 

“I don’t like it still. Change it,” she frowned, to her father’s amusement. *Abby? You alright? * A distant voice intruded her memory, but she continued to recall her father’s response, “I didn’t make it up. Perhaps you should tell that to the folks who passed down this folklore tale over a hundred years ago?” The distant voice continued, *Abby? Little Abby?* Her memory concluded with the young Abigail reasoning to her father, “But you can still change the story, make it end differently. Make it our own story, right?”

Abigail felt a hand on her shoulder, looking to see the voice that was calling her back to reality. “Abby? You okay? You were starting to worry me,” Granville looked to Abigail with concern. “Oh, yeah. Sorry, Auntie Grace. I was just… lost in thought I guess,” Abigail chuckled softly, remind herself that she was going to see her father soon.

“Are you ready for this, Abby?” Granville inquired, checking in with Abigail that she was up for this. “Yes. We have to,” Abigail said, her steadiness returning to her. They pulled into the prison’s security gate, preparing themselves for the inevitable conversation.

…

You just let him die… he went in there to save you! Professor Callaghan’s hands clutched at his face, exhaling with a weathered sigh. “When… will that nightmare end?” he asked himself, constantly facing that same nightmare throughout several nights. Hiro’s anguished words echoing in his head. He heard the buzzing of the entrance door beyond his cell, it was being unlocked for a visitor. His gaze focused on the door, a sigh of relief at the sight of his daughter stepping through the door towards him.

“I almost thought you’d never come to see me again, Abigail,” a faint smile surfaced on her father’s face. He was still relieved to see her, to see her safe, standing before him. This was no dream. But he could see by her expression that she had come to talk to him about something. He saw her stand tall and looked at him with both a caring and determined expression, “Dad, I came here to ask something of you that’s very important me…”

“Dad… I need your help and you are the only person we can turn to…” Abigail cleared her throat, preparing for the arduous task of convincing her father. Robert looked to his daughter, he was potentially delighted that his daughter would come to him for help. That he would be able to do something for her. Attempting to gather herself, she said, “I need you to rebuild Project Silent Sparrow, help me retrieve the Baymax that sacrificed itself to save my life-“

Professor Callaghan was shaking, “Abigail… how could you even think to ask something like that?” He could not believe what he was hearing. Why would he risk what he cared most about? He did not want her to go back into that machine again. Traumatic memories flooded his mind, seeing the second machine exploding from its catastrophic failure and the government forcing the remaining machine to be shut down indefinitely. Effectively stranding Abigail in a place where he could not reach her.

Abigail pleaded to her father, “Dad, you are the only one left who can rebuild Silent Sparrow. You are the only one who can help us bring back Baymax- “ Callaghan erupted with incredulous anger, “And risk you being lost again to that cursed machine!? You are asking me to willingly put you back at risk! I will not, Abby! I won’t lose you, not for a second time…” His voice had become decidedly softer, it was only that he was terrified at losing Abigail again.

Although emotionally riled up, Abigail understand her father’s fears. But she pleaded again, speaking softly to attempt to calm him, “Please, Dad. We owe it to Hiro… to Tadashi. Someone has to help, and we are the only ones who can. It has to be us.”

Professor Callaghan sighed heavily as he looked down in shame. His daughter’s choice of words… Someone has to help. He knew that they echoed the last words his protégé said before he made the choice to risk himself to save Callaghan. Tadashi truly was a selfless soul. Surely, it was not an easy decision to risk his life, even at the behest of his younger brother pleading for him not to go towards the fire.

Were it not for his blinding rage, scheming to stage his own death within that fire… Callaghan would have never placed his protégé in that situation. It was something he did not account for, only that he wanted to use Hiro’s invention to enact his plans for retribution against Krei. In the aftermath of it all, he had to face the truth that what he did led to Tadashi’s death. And he wasn’t even sure if he should even be forgiven.

“Abigail, no matter what I do, it will never bring back Tadashi. Even if I do help you… I still can never be forgiven for taking him away from the world… from Hiro,” her father concluded, seeing futility in his situation and that he did not want to risk his daughter again. Abigail simply smiled, asking, “Do you remember the story you and mom used to tell me as a kid?” 

Callaghan was momentarily taken aback, surprised at her sudden question, “‘The Tongue-Cut Sparrow?’ What does this have to do with- “ But, Abigail quickly continued, “Do you remember the lessons from that story you tried to teach me?” Professor Callaghan paused.

Professor Callaghan reflected on the traditional Japanese folklore story that he had told the young Abigail. When he lost Abigail, it was a bittersweet memory that he had chosen to forget or push away. But its story was sadly pertinent to their situation, the very same lessons that he had tried to teach Abigail were the very lessons he did not heed. Callaghan was ashamed that he had went against his own principles.

He hesitated, “Yes… that an act of kindness could be unexpectedly rewarded with good fortune. That anger and greed… could lead to your end. And that… even when you are wronged… you can choose to forgive and move forward in order to heal…” At this moment, he had felt that he had truly let his daughter down. Abigail looked to him, allowing him to reflect on those lessons he seemingly abandoned. 

In that old tale, the wicked neighbor took away the poor sparrow’s tongue out of anger. Just as Callaghan had inadvertently taken Tadashi’s life, silencing the young man from the world and all he had to offer it. Similarly, his rage had drowned out and silenced Abigail’s wishes for him to not act out in hatred. For the story, despite having been wronged, the sparrow had healed and wanted to live beyond the old woman’s transgressions. Just the same, both Hiro and his daughter were seeking to forgive the professor, if at least for them to truly heal.

Professor Callaghan understood that he placed Hiro in the same position he was in. To lose a loved one at the hands of another. The young boy was faced with the same fatal choice that Callaghan had made. Truthfully, Callaghan felt that the boy had every right to try to take his life with the rampant Baymax, to face an almost poetic retribution by Tadashi’s own brother and his creation meant to help people. Despite this, Hiro was able to realize that this would not bring Tadashi back nor allow him to heal in his grief. Just as the sparrow even offered the wicked neighbor the same choices as the kind old man, Hiro pleaded to Callaghan that he make that choice to stop and think about Abigail’s wishes.

In the story, the wicked neighbor made the choice to greedily seek the gift she did not deserve and worst yet, did not seek forgiveness for her brutal act against the sparrow. Likewise, Callaghan had been afflicted by a rather different form of greed, the desire to take absolutely everything Krei had built so that he could feel a semblance of what he had taken from him, his daughter… his everything. And in his grief and anger, he would only be able to apologize to Hiro in the aftermath of it all.

In a twist of fate, Callaghan had become the wicked neighbor who sought everything within the large basket and opened it all that would punish them. Callaghan too had opened Silent Sparrow to take everything from Krei, but it had ironically sealed his fate to imprisonment and to be tormented by his actions. But it had also given him the unexpected gift he did not deserve, the return of Abigail. And with it, he opened the proverbial box of demons, analogous to the feelings of guilt and remorse that consumes his thoughts. 

“Hmm. I taught you well… It’s a shame I could not listen to my own lessons… Seems I became that wicked neighbor… I deserve to be eaten by the demons I brought into the world,” Callaghan spoke softly yet harshly, self-chastising himself. He turned away from his daughter, unable to look her in the eyes. He faced the wall, stifling his tears.

“I… always hated when you told that story… Until mom had told me another ending that was different from yours…” Abigail revealed, this time she had walked towards the clear encasement and placed her hand on it tenderly. It was at this moment that she did wish that she could put her hand on her father’s shoulder to comfort him.

Professor Callaghan’s eyes widened, unaware that his late wife, Gale, had told Abigail another version. He turned to look towards his daughter, curious what Gale had said. Abigail continued, “I told mom that I did not like how the wicked neighbor was given so many chances to seek forgiveness, that they never learned from their mistakes and were simply punished for it with their life at the hands of the demons…”

Abigail smiled, closing her eyes as she imagined her mother caressing her warmly and telling her the version, she truly believed it was the true rendition of the old tale. Abigail continued to explain, “Mom, she told me that the wicked neighbor escaped the demons with their life. Narrowly escaping a horrible death, the neighbor realized that they had placed themselves in that situation through their own actions. Seeing the error in their ways, they had sought forgiveness from the sparrow and the kind old man, who had both forgave the neighbor. And for the rest of their days, the neighbor had become a different person entirely, someone who was kind, loving and loved.”

“Hmm…Gale…your mother said that, huh? I never knew your mother had told you that…” Professor Callaghan spoke softly. “It was a little before her last flight… she told it to me as a goodnight story. She had learned it from her travels in Japan, having heard different versions among the regions she explored,” Abigail revealed to her father. Callaghan looked down, thinking about his wife and daughter. He never wanted to become someone they wouldn’t recognize, someone different from the loving husband and father he had always strove to be for them.

Abigail words pierced through the cell, “Dad… just like the neighbor, you have the choice to make a change. You can change the story... If you stay like this, you will only torment yourself. But you are the only person who can help us bring Baymax from the other side of Silent Sparrow. You can make that change, you can make it up to Hiro. Bring him back the Baymax that Tadashi worked for so long to create… let Tadashi’s dream of helping people live on.”

Professor Callaghan reflected on the memory he had when he was able to witness Tadashi’s triumphant moment in Baymax’s creation. The young prodigy had gone through so many trials, it was a labor of love to honor his passion to help others. Callaghan could not be any prouder as a professor. He could not be any prouder of his student who held high promise to better the world. Abigail was right, he was the only one who could make it possible to bring Baymax back. And with him, another part of Tadashi will live on to continue his protégé’s dream.

“Abigail… you’re right. I owe it to Hiro if I am ever able to make amends with him. I owe it to Baymax, for returning you to me… And I owe it to Tadashi to honor his dream and ensure that it continues on,” Callaghan spoke, although with emotional pain, he had done so with clarity. He wanted to help change things for all of them. He wished he could bring Tadashi back, but he had it in his power to bring Tadashi’s creation back at least.

Abigail smiled warmly, she had wanted to see her father with a regained sense of purpose and for him to truly take responsibility over his actions. He sought to apologize to Hiro, but now he had the ability to actually do something to make amends with the young boy.

“But… you are asking me to put you at risk, Abigail… I already lost you once and it broke me completely. I can’t bear the thought of losing you again. I don’t know what I would do,” Callaghan reasoned, still hesitant with risking what he had care the most about. “I know dad, I understand. But I need to be the one who crosses over to get him back, you aren’t the only one indebted to the Hamada’s. I wouldn’t be here without Baymax, I have to get him back…” Abigail reasoned with conviction.

Professor Callaghan clenched his fists in fear and frustration, he would not know what he would do if he had lost her again, maybe even for the last time. “But there’s too much risk, that machine could fail again,” he simply muttered with concern. But he knew that his daughter was adamant and stubborn, much like her mother. There was no convincing her otherwise.

“I understand you are afraid of the risks, that you are afraid that it will happen again. But that’s why we will be working with the best to make sure that every possible risk will be minimized,” Abigail looked towards the security camera behind her and nodded. “And like you, they have a vested interest in this being successful and keeping me safe throughout.”

Shortly after, the entrance door behind her would open. Professor Callaghan was surprised to see a familiar face, someone he was both ashamed and delighted to see. “Hey Robert, it’s been too long, old friend. I wish it were under different circumstances, but it’s good to see you alive again,” Professor Granville walked towards the transparent wall and stood beside Abigail. “Grace! After all this time… it’s good to see you are doing well again… I hear you’re the head professor now, it suits you. The school is in good hands,” Callaghan smiled faintly.

Grace smiled and nodded to her old colleague, “Yes. That’s right. You’ve always held a high standard for the school. I’ll make sure that it will continue as you wanted it.” Professor Callaghan nodded in approval but corrected her, “From what I hear, you are pushing the boundaries quite well. The students deserve to be challenged, there is no one else who deserves to take that position than you, Grace.”

“That means a lot coming from you, Robert. Thank you… But, as you must already know, I am not here particularly to discuss how the school is doing,” Granville looked towards Abigail who was standing beside her. “I understand your fears, with what Abigail plans to do. This is a difficult decision for you, but I want to reassure you that I will be here working alongside you to ensure that nothing will happen to our ‘little Abby.’ You know that it hurt me too when I thought she was truly gone, but she is as stubborn as you and Gale. There is no way to convince her to forego this, she will find a way to rebuild that machine. But if we help, we will have a direct influence on its success. And I’d say, you need to do this too. Mr. Hamada… both of them… deserve nothing less. I… wish I was able to make amends with my old protégé. And now he too is gone…and in a way, I was the one who took his life away.” Granville took a breath, regretting what had happened between her and Bob Aken.

“But you have the opportunity to honor your protégé, Robert. You can help make it up to his younger brother, who meant everything to him. You can bring back his creation, revive a part of him. Perhaps, it will help Mr. Hamada… Hiro, to get to a better place where he can forgive you. And perhaps you can begin to try to forgive yourself as well,” Grace spoke softly with heartfelt sincerity, she saw the opportunity that her old friend had. She could never do anything for Mr. Aken, his fate was sealed when she did not set appropriate limits for him and his passion got the best of him. But Callaghan could do something for his pupil, even if he was physically gone from this world. He still had a legacy, and Callaghan could ensure that it lives on through Baymax. 

Professor Callaghan looked to his old colleague, he did not need to know the details behind her loss of the young Bob Aken. He was there to see what it had done to her. He thought on her words, they had both lost their pupils indirectly by their actions. But unlike Mr. Aken, Tadashi had left behind his younger brother and his creation. 

Grace was observing her friend, she could see that she was reaching him. Initially, Granville had been afraid that the man she would see would feel completely different. She could see what time and tragedies had done to him, he looked especially weathered and broken. Undoubtedly, all the time he had to himself must tear him apart as he could only reflect on his actions and their severe consequences. But as he was now, she could see that her friend was there, seeking forgiveness and to atone for his actions. The Robert she knew, was perhaps finally back.

“You have my word, Robert. I will do everything in my power to make sure that she is safe. I care for her too, I will never forget what you and she did for me when I was at my most vulnerable point in my life. You have been like family to me, I can’t stand to lose anyone else again… not on my watch. So please trust in me again,” Grace placed a hand on her heart, attempting to reassure her old friend.

Callaghan remembered Granville at her lowest point having left SFIT after her protégé’s accident. It changed her, made her hyper vigilant and guides her to be disciplined and cautious, to set limits and parameters that should not be exceeded or take unnecessary risks. “Grace… I… do trust you, old friend,” Callaghan took a deep breath. Robert Callaghan closed his eyes, placing his hand on the wall behind him to prop up on it. It was a difficult decision, but perhaps this would help give him even just a semblance of inner peace. Maybe the nightmares will end. He sighed exhaustively.

“Abigail… Grace… I will… help you rebuild that machine,” Callaghan concluded, there was still so much for him to process and he still had his fears, but it appeared that this would help all of them heal from that incident. A chance to do right by his student, Tadashi Hamada. This time, tears streamed down Abigail’s face, “Thank you… Dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Well, this was a bit difficult to write out but it was still fun. Learning about the traditional folklore tale of the Tongue-Cut Sparrow just seemed so appropriate, a very probable reference that Project Silent Sparrow was influenced by and some of its themes of forgiveness and kindness. And as many old tales are, there are various versions of it. Thank you for reading. Stay tuned!


	13. Icarus' Limits

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro, Abigail and Krei must devise a strategy to get Callaghan out of prison

The Penitent Sparrow  
Chapter 13: Icarus’ Limits

Atop the executive office of the Krei Tech Industries main building, its CEO paced back and forth along his clear window view that overlooked much of San Fransokyo’s majestic city view. Alistair Krei was visibly anxious and under stress, his gait was especially rushed, and his voice was both frustrated and nervous. He was on his phone, attempting to ensure things were going as planned.

“Yes, try to create a fake lab that will be convincing enough to get the government off of our backs… You know you don’t have to worry about your budget for materials, we just need this to be done as soon as you can. Isn’t that what the microbots are helping you with?” Mr. Krei spoke on his signature Krei Tech smartphone to his construction team, he had been constantly overseeing the progress of their new lab site at Akuma Island. But after the fiasco with the government’s shutdown of Silent Sparrow, he had to be extra cautious in some of his projects since he was often under their watchful eyes. 

This would be especially true for him to use Akuma Island again, it was the very site that housed the government-supported Project Silent Sparrow and was also quarantined by the government. It would be rather tricky to navigate around them and avoid inciting any suspicions. “Well, I trust you guys can figure out a way to build a sublevel further beneath Akuma Island. The government cannot inspect what they don’t even know exists, right?” the business tycoon stated on the phone, a hint of frustration and anxiety in his voice. He listened to their response, seemingly becoming more assured from what he heard.

“Thank you. Well, I expect nothing less. You are the best that money can buy. And I have that money, so please continue at the pace you have been designing and constructing our site. And keep me posted… or keep my assistant posted,” Mr. Krei finally seemed to calm down. It was true that he felt a certain debt to repay to Abigail, so he knew he had to devote his efforts to making sure his teams could make it happen. But, admittedly, he was sticking his neck out on this one. He’s no stranger to shady backdoor deals and clandestine projects but using Akuma Island was risky and is catching attention from the government. 

He does not have any other viable locations for such an undertaking, and it being secluded from the public. He had considered purchasing Muirahara Woods to construct the lab there due to its relative seclusion away from San Fransokyo. But honestly, Alistair had a love for that land and was hesitant on committing towards defacing any of it to expand Krei Tech Industries’ operations. Let alone, it would be easier for intruders to sneak into the forest and Akuma Island had the advantage of the San Fransokyo bay acting as a natural security barrier. 

Mr. Krei was deep in thought, looking out towards the city skyline. “Sounds like you’re having trouble with building your super-secret lab that no one is supposed to know about. Construction isn’t my expertise, but I can help them with utilizing the microbots efficiently,” Hiro mused as he sat on a chair in front of Mr. Krei’s desk, immediately startling Alistair who spun around to look at the young boy. “I forgot you were there this whole time, thought you were that weird plant my assistant gave me,” Krei exclaimed, his sudden startling had actually slightly startled Hiro since the boy had thought he was aware of his presence already. 

The young boy narrowed his eyes, looking to a corner of Krei’s main office to look at a spiky short plant that decorated the room. “Um, Mr. Krei? Why would Judy put a plant in front of your desk… on top of your chair… specifically meant for guests?” the boy snarkily asked in annoyance, not liking being compared to a plant due to his messy hair. “Who?” Mr. Krei looked in wonder at the boy, not recognizing the name he mentioned. Hiro simply smacked his forehead and groaned, deciding to continue working on designing machine sketches from his tablet. Dismissing Mr. Krei’s shenanigans, he muttered to himself, “I hope Abigail comes back soon with an update, she said she wanted to meet personally up here.”

“Mr. Krei?” his personal assistant rang through his intercom. “Yes, what is it, assistant?” he responded casually. “Ms. Callaghan is coming up to you… right about, now,” Judy paused momentarily to time it well enough that she warned Krei of her arrival only as soon as she arrived on their floor, the ringing of the elevator heard as if it was right on cue. Krei’s narrowed, annoyed that his assistant messes with him to keep him on his toes and not warn of guests until the last second. “Thanks… assistant.” Mr. Krei seemed to go through a pre-meeting ritual, clearing his throat, practicing an exaggerated smile and adjusting his blazer and tie. But of course, it was rather rushed thanks to having so little preparation time to get him in his business mode. Hiro merely chuckled at the sight, now looking over to await Abigail’s arrival through the elevator. 

Abigail stepped through as the elevator doors opened, smiling at the two as she walked towards them. Hiro noted that her eyes seemed to be a bit heavy or worn from possibly crying, even though she was smiling warmly and even wearing makeup. She obviously had an update on this project, were they tears of joy, frustration or disappointment? Abigail noticed Hiro’s concerned gaze, nodding to him in an attempt to reassure him. “Well, I come bearing news about our clandestine project,” Abigail mused as she walked up to Alistair’s desk to prop herself on it with both arms resting along it casually. The two looked to her with curious anticipation.

“I spoke to my father… Took quite some time to get to him but… Aunt Grace and I were able to convince him to help us rebuild Silent Sparrow to retrieve Baymax,” Abigail revealed, much to their surprise. Hiro felt mixed about the development, they of course needed his help to get Baymax, but he still wasn’t necessarily ecstatic to hear that he would have to collaborate with Professor Callaghan. 

“But, does Robert know that he will be working with me?” Alistair asked Abigail, genuinely wondering how Callaghan could possibly agree to work with him. “Nope,” Abigail responded rather quickly, surprising Krei even further. “What?! Why didn’t you tell him?” Alistair inquired, his face incredulously contorted in wonder. “Hey, I told you that Aunt Grace and I were trying to convince him to help. Not deter him,” Abigail chuckled at the business executive. “This is not going to be particularly easy for us all to work together, but we all do need each other to make this possible,” she remarked, looking towards Hiro to recognize that this would be difficult for him as well. “So, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there. But now the problem is… how do we get him out of prison to work with us directly? Can’t exactly work on a clandestine project under the watchful eyes of his prison cell.”

“Well… we could bust him out of prison? Sneakily of course!” Mr. Krei proposed, seemingly serious in considering this course of action. “Sounds like a great idea to prison break a criminal roboticist that the city of San Fransokyo and the government would certainly freak out about. He’s too high profile to do something so… umm… criminal? You know, because making a secret underground lab behind the government’s back isn’t enough?” Hiro responded sarcastically. “Well, what do you propose then, intern?” Mr. Krei reacted, emphasizing Hiro’s intern title.

“Well, actually I was thinking we could take advantage of the fake lab that will be the coverup operation and will mask our sublevel lab that will house the new Silent Sparrow. I’m sure you have a lot of backdoor connections to allow Professor Callaghan to come on as a special consultant for your coverup project, you know? Perhaps he can ‘help’ consult one of the programs you are developing for the government?” Hiro proposed coherently, Abigail and Mr. Krei being interested in this approach. The young boy smirked at Mr. Krei, “You know, like a certain project you are developing for the Army Corps of Engineers with a certain robotic solution for rapid construction in dangerous environments?”

“I told you not to snoop in my files, they’re protected with encryption algorithms for a reason!” Mr. Krei sighed, wondering what else the boy had seen. “You think telling me not to do something would actually stop me, I take it more as a challenge. Not that your security tech team’s data encryption was an actual challenge for me…” the young boy snidely remarked. Abigail laughed but wanted to redirect the conversation back to Hiro’s proposition. 

“What do you think though, Alistair? Think you can convince some people in power that you need my father to help you with a project that will benefit the government? Might give us some wiggle room to get him temporarily released to the custody of your executive protection team for the coverup project,” Abigail asked Alistair, hoping that this was a viable option that Krei could pursue. She continued, “After all, who would suspect you of all people wanting to work with my father. The world knows that he tried to kill you, it would probably throw people for a loop. They all would know that you would have elevated security to keep him in custody and under supervision, for your safety. I think you can convince them to allow you to have access to my father without law enforcement having to observe him constantly.”

“But if we did that and had a known criminal on our consulting team, wouldn’t the government try to oversee our coverup project more and it would be difficult to sneak off to our sublevel lab?” Mr. Krei asked, wondering if it was too risky to allow the government to be so close to their clandestine project. Hiro took a moment to think on this, he was surprised at what he was thinking, “Well, a clever mastermind did something similar and he was almost able to destroy all of San Fransokyo because he was able to hide his project all the way up to its completion.” 

The young boy was surprised to take “inspiration” from that demented man, Obake. But he could not deny that taking a cue out of Obake’s playbook was a promising strategy to keep the project hidden. Obake was able to sneak around in plain sight and he was able to surreptitiously recreate and modify Lenore Shimamoto’s machine without anyone realizing it until it was nearly too late. “We’ll have them close by as to not suspect us even when they try to inspect our facility. Keep them close to be hidden in plain sight. And we can create an underwater railway and entrance into our sublevel lab. No one would even know we were on Akuma Island in the first place, even if they attempted to inspect our facility or secretly conducted surveillance on our coverup lab at the surface. Our project, itself, should go unhindered by any outside parties. We will be able to gather the necessary components and work on Silent Sparrow without issue regardless of the presence of authorities.” 

“You know? You’d be a terrifying mastermind if you were in the criminal underworld, Hiro,” Mr. Krei commented, both worried but also quite impressed by the boy’s vast potential. In a short time, the boy demonstrated that he could covertly take any information he wanted without hindrance and develop strategies that could mask his actual pursuits without anyone being the wiser. Truly, if the boy had wanted to pursue more nefarious activities, he could probably get away with it with little opposition. Mr. Krei was honestly quite wary of the boy, his intellect and curiosity were a volatile combination even while being an asset. But in cases like this, he had to keep faith that the boy genius was truly guided by his desire to help people. Surely, it was the reason he would risk himself constantly alongside the Big Hero 6 team.

To pursue such an undertaking, Hiro did personally find it odd that he had to partake in something that would be considered illegal by the government. Was it wrong to do? It reminded him of Baymax’s honest concern when Hiro felt that he needed to involve himself in bot-fighting to determine who was responsible for the bot-fighter attacks. It is the right thing to do, but it is illegal. I do not understand. In truth, even though he had thought about explaining such a concept to his healthcare companion, he wasn’t quite sure how to explain it to himself. Was it inherently wrong to disregard the law if it was for the benefit of others? Or simply the benefit of the few that he especially cared for, like Aunt Cass.

But this was Tadashi’s original Baymax they were pursuing, it meant enough to him to even work with his brother’s unintentional killer, Professor Callaghan. Baymax was a part of his brother and the world would benefit from having another Baymax to carry on Tadashi’s dream. And not to mention, if he thought about it, he and the others were technically conducting illegal vigilante activities that could be condemned by official law enforcement. Even if the San Fransokyo Police Department actively persecuted them for ‘superheroing’, he felt like protecting people was still the right thing to do. By no means was he trying to justify himself as being infallible or always righteous, but he did feel that he was trying to do what he thought was right and would benefit the world. 

As Professor Granville said, a part of what made Hiro who he is would be his ability to question authority and that he should be guided by Tadashi’s wish to help people. The boy knew that if he veered off from his own “programming,” he could easily fall into a morally dubious situation and potentially follow Obake’s path. He hated to admit it, but his pursuit of the energy amplifier was a dangerous path that he shared with Obake. He was cautious of what his intellect would drive him to do. But this project, while technically illegal, is not meant to harm anyone and retrieving Baymax would help all of them heal. In this way, Hiro was willing to commit to this despite the potential risks and ramifications. He was risking himself by partaking in this. What worried him is that he was risking his friends for involving them. Perhaps this was a selfish desire, to feel even a semblance closer to Tadashi through the original Baymax’s return? 

He had to wonder if the lengths he was willing to see this through was right or wrong, was it truly to just help himself heal or did he really want to share Tadashi’s Baymax with the world? He did not heed Professor Granville before, it made him cautious of his own nature that paralleled Bob Aken’s path led to the birth of Obake. It made Hiro cautious of what his intellect could do if unchecked. Just because he could do certain things, does not mean he should actually do them. 

He admitted it was a risky project that he and Abigail are pursuing, but he had to see it through. In order to hide it well, he had to be able to think like a secretive mastermind much like his cunning adversary, Obake. He had to think like someone who was beyond authority but was tempered by self-imposed limitations and ethical principles. Unlike Obake’s twisted ideology, Hiro believed that Icarus was not meant to fly close to the sun, even if he had better wings to allow him to. 

Hiro once flew too close to a star that he helped create, he saw that your passions and intellect can lead to unfathomable consequences. A lesson that he learned the hard way but was lucky enough to rectify his mistake in time, unlike the unfortunate Lenore Shimamoto who witnessed the destruction caused by her pursuits that were well-intentioned. He did not think himself above the law per se, but he knew that he could truly make a difference in the world so long as he had the will and capability to do it morally. And to him, sometimes that meant being above the prevailing authority.

Abigail thought about Hiro’s suggestion and was impressed by his rogue-like thought process. She chimed in, “Well, it’s exactly that type of thinking that we need to get this going without any hitches. I have to agree with Hiro, that’s probably our best way to skate under the radar. And I mean, skate just under it. But keeping the government within arm’s length could make them less suspicious if all they see is you trying to help them with your project, Alistair.”

Alistair sighed as he thought about this approach. He knew this was all risky, but the strategy was admittedly quite sound. Far better than trying to break Callaghan out of prison and keep authorities on high alert. “So, what do you think, Alistair? I know you have the money, means and the connections. Think you can pull it off?” Abigail inquired, her tone intentionally challenging him while stoking his ego of the assets he possessed. This seemed to excite Krei, rising to the challenge, “Of course I can pull this off. Not the first time I bought people’s allegiances or paid for favors.”

Hiro and Abigail smiled, relieved that they had developed a strategy to allow this to happen. Krei continued, “I have to warn you both, this will take some time to talk to the right folks and convince them to get on board with this. It’s not easy to get a criminal freed temporarily. And, need I remind you, that the construction of our new Silent Sparrow site will take quite some time to complete. Even with Hiro’s microbots, which has rapidly increased our progress, it will be a while before we can actually start rebuilding Silent Sparrow.”

Both Abigail and Hiro nodded towards the business executive. “We understand, Alistair. I really do appreciate everything you are doing to make this even possible,” Abigail said with genuine gratitude, which truly made Krei feel fulfilled and happy by helping her in this project. He felt that he owed his old colleague, this felt like positive strides to honoring his debt to her. Abigail continued, “And besides, there are other parts of the project I am sure we can work on in the meantime.”

Hiro twirled his tablet in between his hands, the boy smiled proudly, “Actually, there’s something I’ve been working on for you, Abigail. I’ll need your help on putting it together, of course.” Abigail was pleasantly curious, wondering what the boy genius was working on this time. “That sounds exciting, what can I help you with?” she asked. 

“Well… we both know how things are on the other side. I think it’s time we start thinking about how you are going to be able to operate in that environment. And… I’m thinking we can make you your own suit. More like an aerial frame suit that can maneuver better than anything you’ve piloted before,” Hiro exclaimed, knowing that Abigail had piloted an outstanding array of aircrafts. She smiled, excited at the boy’s claim and rushed him towards the elevator to get started at his lab, “Well, that is something I can get on board with. Oh, and really thank you again, Alistair. Bye!”

They rushed over to the elevator, suddenly leaving Krei to think on what he needed to do. “Oh, yeah. Good talk, you too! I’ll just… figure this out.” He muttered to himself as he realized the two had abruptly left him. He pressed on his intercom button, “Assistant? Assistant?!” Judy responded promptly but with a hint of disinterest, “What can I do for you, Mr. Krei?” He sighed, “I’ll need you to arrange… a lot of meetings…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Was re-watching a lot of Season 1, there were so many themes and concepts that I enjoyed picking apart and analyzing. Obake’s speech about Icarus always fascinated me, along with the parallels Hiro and Bob Aken shared. And there was always the theme that Hiro could have gone a different path had Tadashi not reigned him towards SFIT. Just as Hiro could have taken the vengeance route that Callaghan pursued, he did not. Hiro is constantly seeing the potential dark path he can move towards if he is not careful or supported by his loved ones. We are also yet to see how Hiro and the gang will handle Chief Cruz and his ridiculous sentiment that they don’t need Big Hero 6 with a competent police force. But I suspect that Hiro would eventually realize that authority did not always determine what is right or necessary to help others. So… I enjoyed writing this chapter for its themes. Hope you are enjoying the story thus far. Thanks for the read!


	14. Behind the Kabuki Mask

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro designs a suit for Abigail to use for their project.

The Penitent Sparrow  
Chapter 14: Behind the Kabuki Mask

The holographic display on several screens flashed and shifted, strewn throughout Hiro’s internship lab at the Krei Tech Industries main headquarters building. Corresponding synchronously with the movements of the young boy’s hands as three-dimensional holographic images enlarged and rotated.

“If we are going to do this, we are going to have to create for you the right suit for the job. But I need to know your preferences and style. It’s how I designed each of the team’s suits,” the boy remarked, his gaze never releasing from the work in front of him.

“Preferences and style, huh? Well, I think it would help you if you saw what I have piloted before. Perhaps my favorite project thus far. Instead of telling you, how about I show you?” Abigail responded, pulling out her phone and removing a chip out of a secure compartment of her device. Curious, Hiro looked over to see Abigail walk towards the computer with a data chip in her hand. There was a rather intricate design that Hiro was not able to see on the chip.

“I pulled a favor from my friends at Tanaka-Ackerman Air Industries. When they heard what I was up to, they graciously provided me with the secured schematics of the APOLLO project. Mind you, this is for our eyes only. Also, came along with a friend I would like you to meet, Hiro,” Abigail smiled as she placed her data chip into a computer port. She was grateful for the support of the development team, especially the support from Mr. Tanaka himself, whom was adamant that he would support her in her next endeavor. Indeed, with this generous gesture he surely has. 

A loading bar appeared shortly, as the screen processed the data chip. Suddenly, an intricately designed icon surfaced on the holographic screen. Within the intricate circuitry of interwoven lines formed Norse runes along a digital face. Hiro studied its features as it created the visage of a one-eyed, bearded face, complete with a winged crown sitting atop its head. “Hello ODIN, it’s been quite some time,” Abigail beamed excitedly as she placed a hand along her hip and gazed at the holographic image of her “partner.”

“//Voice identification verified. Authority recognized. User: ’Callaghan, Abigail’. Callsign ‘APOLLO 1.’ ODIN advanced combat A.I. systems have been assigned to support future operations with authorization from Tanaka, Shinji. Awaiting further instructions//” the A.I. responded with monotonous steadiness and formality. “I see you are still as stiff as ever. Good to have you with us, ODIN,” she chuckled as she shrugged her shoulders and lifted her arms, dismissing the A.I.’s systematic response.

“Hello, ODIN. I’m Hiro Hamada, a friend of Abigail’s. Looks like I will be working with you too. Hope you don’t mind me looking through your files,” Hiro smiled warmly as he greeted the military A.I. that populated his holographic monitor. Abigail noted how he interacted with the A.I., his eyes driven by curiosity at the sight of new tech and almost regarding it like a living person. 

But with the bond he has grown to share with Baymax, perhaps a part of him really did believe that artificial intelligences could potentially have something of a “spirit” coded within their programming. Or perhaps a part of the human personality who designed it... a piece of their legacy and will existing within the construct. Perhaps more so for an A.I. like Baymax, ODIN was certainly advanced for his combat-oriented functions but lacked a personality that reflected a “spirit” or a semblance of its designer. Moreover, ODIN had an entire team to program him. Unlike Baymax, who was personally designed by Tadashi, often reflecting his creator’s ideals and principles through the lens of medical applications.

“//Authority not recognized. Require authentication from APOLLO 1. Requesting authentication to grant file access to ‘Hamada, Hiro.’//” the A.I. formally inquired of Abigail. At this, the young woman stepped forward and rested her hands along the desk to speak clearly and concisely to ODIN. “APOLLO 1 approves file access request to Hamada, Hiro. Authentication phrase: ‘Kabuki-za War Memorial Theater,’” Abigail responded in a formal, deliberate manner. Hiro raised an eyebrow, curious at her choice of words for her secure passcode. 

“//Acknowledged. Authentication approved. Granting file access to ‘Hamada, Hiro.’ Requesting callsign for user and approved level of access.//“ ODIN once again formally requested a response from Abigail. Hiro looked towards her, noting that she was wearing that playful and conniving expression he had learned to dread. “User ‘Hamada, Hiro.’ Callsign designation as ‘Captain Cutie.’ Authorize Captain Cutie the same level access as APOLLO 1. Confirm?” she responded, smiling at the young boy whose eyes narrowed in annoyance at the callsign she decided on. “//Acknowledged. Callsign ‘Captain Cutie’ assigned unrestricted access privileges.//“ 

She looked at Hiro, “What? You can thank Karmi for such an inspired name.” Hiro’s face scowled, “Yeah I guess I have a lot of things to ‘thank’ her for.” But Hiro was surprised that Abigail would provide him the same access and authorization as her, it was a subtle gesture of trust. “You’re okay with me having the same level of access to ODIN’s systems as you?” He inquired with a curious tone. 

Abigail chuckled, “Well, I trust you. Don’t want you to be hindered by anything. But to be honest, whether I give you access or not. I figure that you are probably capable of breaching even ODIN’s encrypted files. So, why not?” Hiro smiled with a hint of pride, appreciating her recognition of his skills, “Well, still. Thank you. Hmm… Now where to begin…” The holographic screen suddenly cascaded with various files sequenced along the expansive transparent display. Hiro grinned as he scanned through the numerous files, ready to dive in.

“ODIN was designed for combat operations. He and I worked together to help finalize and validate the APOLLO Project. Just like the mythical Norse god, he actively seeks information and knowledge. In a pinch, he can provide you with real-time situational awareness to help you make split-second decisions. His function is to constantly analyze situational data and translate it into relevant tactical user data. You could say it is a tactical marriage of human and machine, so to speak. Only thing I never liked was his bland personality or lack thereof… I always asked the development team to make him… less robotic and give him some personality. But he was developed for military operations, so I guess that wouldn’t be appropriate...,” Abigail scoffed, showing a disdain for the highly-formal constraints of the government agencies that this technology was developed for. 

“Well, if you don’t mind. Maybe I can look ‘under the hood’?” Hiro smiled as he looked towards Abigail, his expression awaiting her permission with a childlike anticipation as if he was ready to unravel a present. “By all means, have at it. You have complete access and free reign to look through what you’d like,” Abigail waved her hand, curious what the boy genius had in mind. Swiping the holographic files across with his hand, Hiro moved the transparent files off of the screen as he stopped to access a particular folder. In this folder, a massive cacophony of program coding displayed on the holographic screen. Abigail’s domain lay in aircraft design and their operation. Seeing what ODIN was ultimately made of was like seeing a whole other language, strewn cryptically with intricate numbers, word-phrase inputs and symbols.

“Well, this is some impressive tech. Tanaka-Ackerman Air Industries put some serious coding work into ODIN,” Hiro admitted, as his eyes quickly scanned through ODIN’s programming script. “But for our purposes, I think I can do better. Just give me some time to make ‘some’ adjustments,” he smirked haughtily as he extended his arms forward, interlocking his fingers to crack them. Based on his self-assured confidence, he did not simply “think” he could do better. The boy genius was certain he could do better than some of the most brilliant minds working within the private military industrial complex. Excited at the possibility of personalizing and upgrading ODIN’s systems, Abigail placed a hand on Hiro’s shoulder. “Now, that is something I would like to see, kid,” she grinned.

Suddenly, Hiro seemingly paused himself and lightly tapped his fist atop his open hand as if he had a realization. “But first, what we came into the lab for in the first place…” Hiro stopped himself suddenly, realizing that his mind was firing off into too many different directions and he needed to focus back on the first task: designing the aerial frame suit that Abigail will use in the other side to maneuver and help retrieve Baymax. Once again, he sifted through various files within the secure data chip. Opening various files to observe and absorb the necessary information he could use for his project. One file caught his eyes, opening it to reveal the designs of the pilot’s helmet in the APOLLO.

“Neurotransmitter, huh? Interesting… Hmm, Krei Tech Industries…why am I not surprised?” Hiro’s eyes narrowed with a brief moment of disgust as he saw the distinct “K” logo of Krei Tech Industries hovering over the helmet’s neurotransmitter components. He should have known that Mr. Krei would attempt to replicate his neurotransmitter design, despite all of the chaos his neurotransmitter and microbots had already caused for them both. The boy scanned through the schematics of the Krei Tech-designed neurotransmitter. Pity his team seemed to have rushed it or could not develop it fully, it wasn’t quite there yet.

Hiro just shrugged, “It’s a cheap knock-off of my design. But for the APOLLO project I have to admit Mr. Tanaka was brilliant to use it for seamless handling of an aircraft’s flight control systems. That’s an inspired application of that tech.” Abigail smiled as she thought about her flight in the APOLLO, “It’s the closest feeling I’ve had to feeling like I was actually flying and not necessarily in an aircraft.” Hiro looked up to Abigail with a cocky grin. “Well then. Now, this is something I can certainly improve on. After all! Just can’t beat the genius who designed it in the first place. This system will truly feel like it’s an extension of your own body with far more efficient neural input processing and near-instantaneous control output.” 

Abigail chuckled and shook her head, realizing that the boy genius was acutely aware of his talents and unafraid to flaunt it at times. She supposed it was well-deserved, the young boy potentially had an intellect that surpassed many of the brilliant minds she worked with before. With that being said, she has worked with the industry’s best in both private and government domains. She observed as the young boy packaged up the “neurotransmitter folder” and digitally threw it to another holographic monitor on the other side of the room. He was saving it as another small project for him to work on later.

“And now, onto the fun stuff,” Hiro mused as he pulled up the schematic blueprints for the APOLLO prototype aircraft itself. With his hands gripping the holographic designs, he threw the image towards that same holographic monitor across the other side of the lab. The boy sat back from his rolling seat, lifted his feet on the edge of his desk as a platform and quickly launched himself across the room. His seat rolling across, he casually transitioned to the next module he would work on. Abigail smiled and shook her head, amused to see the boy in his element, as she casually walked across the room to follow him. 

“But, let’s just use only what we need,” Hiro mused, as his hands rapidly pressed several points of the holographic representation of the prototype aircraft. To Abigail’s surprise, much of the aircraft’s design was discarded as the boy swiped it towards a digital trash can. The young boy then rapidly pointed and clamped on the remaining components, minimizing and shifting them. Tossing them to the side and haphazardly organizing them in a system that only he would seem to understand. Abigail figured there was a method to the madness, but only he would be able to discern his own rhyme and reason for placing the numerous parts where they were. His brain seemed to function on system of organized chaos and spontaneous creative flow. He definitely did not have the same rigid, overtly orderly organizational system as someone like Wasabi.

Picking up a scanner device on his desk, he pointed it towards Abigail. “Umm, arms up please,” he requested as Abigail’s eye brow raised on her face. The boy laughed lightly as he stood up and moved his arms outstretched directly to the side, showing her what he needed her to do. She shrugged and raised her arms to her side as Hiro scanned her from head-to-toe with a wide-spanning holographic laser. The monitor populated with a three-dimensional figure in her image with body measurement specifications and accurate contouring of her body.

Hiro sat back down and spun his chair towards the holographic screen. Hiro waved his hands from the remaining APOLLO components strewn around, taking each individual component and manipulating them. With each one, once he was satisfied, he would move them and combined them with Abigail’s holographic figure. Working rapidly and methodically, he personally tailored each aspect of the simulated armor with design cues from the prototype aircraft. Abigail noted it was all like watching someone conducting a symphony, as the boy was entranced in his work. He was in a state of creative flow, enjoying every moment of his work.

Abigail had intensively studied aerospace engineering concepts during her time at SFIT and she had worked with some of the most brilliant minds in aeronautic design. She was thoroughly impressed at his aptitude to absorb and comprehend concepts. Despite not specializing in the field of aeronautics, he was absorbing rather advanced design concepts and using them to fit his needs. Before her very eyes, he was designing something that often took entire development teams to draw up within the span of several days. The cohesive designs of a fully functional, flight-capable aerial frame suit were coming together in surreal time-lapsed looking manner.

Witnessing Hiro at work, Abigail realized what Tadashi and even her father must have seen in him. This young boy had immense potential, with the right resources and challenges, he will most certainly make great scientific strides. The boy was truly gifted in not only robotics but applying his vision and translating it into the real world almost seamlessly. As well-accomplished as even her father was, who was regarded as the man who laid the very foundations for the field of robotics, she knew that this boy could surpass him. He was a visionary truly ahead of his time and age. She had to wonder where his career will take him as time goes by.

At only fourteen years old, he will surely surpass even her father in this field. It was by no surprise that Tadashi had constantly attempted to redirect Hiro towards utilizing his talents and intellect. Such an innate aptitude, he was clearly a savant and to have wasted his talents on trivial pursuits like bot-fighting would have been tragic. Tadashi was right to challenge his younger brother to expand himself through attending SFIT and applying that big head of his to solve the most complex of problems. Admittedly, it was truly an experience to be able to observe him at work, firsthand. 

“And... that… should do it. What do you think? Pretty sick, huh?” he beamed with pride at his work, looking to Abigail for her feedback and approval. “I’m impressed, genius boy. You really have a gift. But it seems you are well aware of that,” she smirked while crossing her arms and looking at the designs. The beginning designs of an aerial frame suit were slowly rotating within the holographic image, Abigail was ecstatic to see what she would be piloting this time. Hiro smirked, “Was there ever any doubt?”

But she noted that there was one aspect that it would not be complete without. “Hmm. It’s almost perfect. But can I make one aesthetic suggestion? You said you wanted to know my style, right?” she requested of the young genius. If this was to be her personalized suit, and not simply a design for the use by another agency or private company, she wanted it to truly reflect her. Curious, the boy genius agreed, “Yeah, of course. What would you like me to change?”

“I would like the helmet’s visor to be able to polarize and show a specific design when it does fully polarize,” she suggested. “Yeah, I can do that. What design did you have in mind?” Hiro assured her, willing to accommodate Abigail’s design request. 

“A Kabuki mask,” she revealed, much to Hiro’s surprise. The boy associated the design with Professor Callaghan, to his dismay. He immediately thought of her father, thinking about his more sinister persona as Yokai’s intentionally menacing visage was characterized by the Kabuki mask. But there had to be a reason? It had to have some meaning for the Callaghan’s. He then remembered her choice for her personal authentication passcode to ODIN, she had referred to the Kabuki-za War Memorial Theater found in downtown San Fransokyo. 

“What does... it mean? Your father... he wore it, too… So why the Kabuki mask?” Hiro asked, although a bit unsteadily at the thought of Professor Callaghan’s use of it. Abigail closed her eyes and took a deep breath, a smile on her face in understanding of his concerned expression. She patted her hand lightly on his shoulder to ease him.

“I know you must be... perhaps disturbed of my preference because of my father. I’m well aware that he wore it, too… But the Kabuki mask means a lot to me personally… When I was a little girl.... My father and mother used to take me with them to the Kabuki-za War Memorial Theater in downtown San Fransokyo almost religiously,” Abigail recalled, closing her eyes again as she tried to remember and envision it that far-off memory she was so fond of. It was a time that her entire family enjoyed together, a feeling that she longed to feel again. 

“Every week, they had a new play performed by Kabuki dancers. For some reason, I just couldn’t help but love the imagery of the Kabuki actors and their dances... I even painted their mask design onto my bots when I used to go bot-fighting... It was something I shared with my parents, and ever since my mom died… looking at the Kabuki mask helped me feel connected with that wonderful part of our lives that we shared together. It reminds me of some of my fondest memories with my family.” 

Hiro looked at Abigail, understanding the meaningful connection she held with the Kabuki mask. That it drew her closer to her late mother, to her father, to a fond memory. But Hiro was a bit unnerved, he perhaps now had an understanding of why Professor Callaghan chose the visage of a Kabuki mask to characterize his phantom. 

In his grief, it was a twisted, painful reminder of what he had lost and sought to avenge. In a way, it was a way for him to truly avenge his loss of Abigail, embodying a phantom that wore his grief on his very face, so to speak. It reminded Hiro that the former professor, before his descent towards murderous hatred, was a good man and father that simply could not fathom or cope with the loss of his loved ones. The memory of those he lost was both comforting but haunting. The Kabuki mask, for Callaghan, represented the ghosts of his loved ones that shared the memory of the Kabuki theater. 

Without saying a word, Hiro searched for the Kabuki design and placed its image overlay onto the helmet’s visor display. The holographic representation of the suit now had the distinct painted visage of the haunting Kabuki mask on its helmet. But understanding the sentimental meaning behind the Kabuki mask, Hiro hoped that this would help him re-associate his perception of the design with Abigail’s positive memories rather than the murderous face of Yokai. 

“Thank you, Hiro,” she simply said, grateful for his understanding. Looking at the design schematics, Hiro put his hands on his waist beaming with pride at another of his works steadily coming together. Abigail lightly punched his arm, “Well done, genius boy. You’ve really outdone yourself. Looks like it’s ready for production. I just can’t wait to put it to action.”

Hiro rubbed his arm tenderly, “Me too. But Mr. Krei’s 3D printing lab equipment will take some time to produce the suit components to our specifications. Then I’ll do some fine tuning by hand and you’ll be airborne in no time. And that’s just the beginning of course, but I’m sure you’re used to prototype developments. There’s so much more I plan to add to it.” 

Hiro paused briefly, his stomach growled lightly. “But... in the meantime...Umm... I’m really hungry and can go for some Yaki tacos right about now,” the young genius laughed sheepishly as he rubbed his stomach. 

“I guess putting that brain of yours to work must really build an appetite. Alright, let’s go feed that genius brain of yours. My treat,” Abigail laughed as she spun Hiro’s chair around to abruptly nudge him out of his seat and onto his feet to his surprise. “Yaki tacos, it is, genius boy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: What’s Big Hero 6 without some kind of invention scene and Hiro doing his thing? As a note, I will hopefully have the time to sketch out some concept art for Abigail’s aerial frame suit and share it somehow. But thank you again for reading and keeping up with this series.


	15. A Loyal "Club" Member

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A familiar old foe returns

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I apologize if these are coming out perhaps too quickly. Hopefully this allows someone to binge read my chapters if they enjoy it. But thanks again for reading and hope you enjoy it.
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.

The Penitent Sparrow

Chapter 15: A Loyal "Club" Member

On the outskirts of San Fransokyo, a feral shadow shifted quickly among the abandoned buildings, leaping between the rooftops of a quiet industrial area. The shadow eventually settled at an abandoned warehouse. The feline-like beast slashed through the rooftop of the building with its shimmering blue claws, cutting through it with ease. With precision, the creature landed atop debris and rubble found within the wide-open warehouse. Seemingly in a fit of uncontrolled rage, it continued to jump from wall to wall, while swiping at its surroundings. Eventually, landing in the middle of the warehouse, seemingly attempting to control itself again.

The creature propped up on its four limbs, breathing heavily towards the floor as it felt sudden changes in its body. Its skin began to shift from a starkly grey appearance to a fair-colored complexion, its long extended black-and-blue hair began to shorten back to a more well-managed length. The creature was growling but began to breathe heavily, its breaths becoming slower and controlled; more human sounding rather than beast-like. With her feline-like eyes, accentuated by her slit pupils surrounded by yellow sclera, she watched her hands as they returned to normal and her graphene claws receded.

Momokase attempted to calm her breathing to a controlled state, continuing to stare at her hands as she processed what had just happened to her. "Bested… yet again," the woman scoffed with subdued rage, quickly remembering that she was fighting with the Big Hero 6 team at her "Mystery Dinner" event. Despite her honed skill and her newfound feral abilities, she had to admit that those kids have proven to be a challenge for her.

Her gaze scanned through her surroundings, noting the massive distorted metal debris around her with fallen catwalks and several beams still haphazardly sticking up from the concrete floor. Soon after, she saw these structures suddenly collapse into precisely cut sections as her surroundings withered away. The aftermath of her feral rage cutting through everything around her. She grinned sinisterly, looking at her hands as she willfully extended her nails to reveal her graphene-like claws from her fingertips. As they manifested, Momokase could feel a sharp and burning sensation as if tiny shards of glass were coursing through her blood vessels and towards her fingertips.

It was a painful process, but the woman had a disciplined, high tolerance threshold for pain. But honestly, it was the growing sense of power that had excited her enough to disregard these excruciating sensations. She mused to herself, "Perhaps I just need to get used to this…" The woman looked around, trying to remember why she would even decide to go to this location, even when she lacked conscious control in her feral state.

"Hmm…lovely," she smiled as she pleasantly realized where she had found herself. Walking purposefully towards a heap of rubble and debris, she swiftly swiped at it. Quickly cutting it into small sections and projecting it out of the way. The woman knelt down and quickly created a precise circle with a single claw, forming a neat hole that revealed a hidden ladder leading to a pitch-black abyss.

Momokase did not hesitate to leap into the hole and shortly landed silently at the bottom, looking around as the room progressively became illuminated by the green glow of computer monitors and equipment. It was as if they were "awakening" to her presence. "Well our 'little club' may have disbanded, but I am sure you wouldn't mind if I use some of your toys while you're gone?" she spoke with a peculiar tone of familiarity, seemingly directing herself towards a main monitor in this hidden room. She smiled as she gazed up at the main monitor to see visage of a distinctly familiar one-eyed demon with its tongue slithering downward. The ominous symbol of her late colleague, Obake.

The demented mastermind had prepared several hideouts to operate out of, authorizing Momokase to utilize his equipment and intel as she saw fit. So long as it aligned with his goals, of course. Her graphene claws receded, as she walked casually to the main console. "It's a shame your plans did not succeed, I was curious what would become of the city once it was rebuilt and we held its fate within our hands…" she said, as if she was talking directly with that deranged man. "But as intelligent and gifted as you were, it was your obsession with mentoring that boy that proved to be your downfall."

Momokase remembered her last interaction with her colleague, being told to retrieve the boy so that he could mentor him to follow his path. She didn't see the point to pursue the boy further, but perhaps to simply eliminate him and his friends. Unfortunately for them, the boy was brilliant and resourceful, and he ultimately prevented their great catastrophe from coming to fruition. In truth, she had seen the boy and his team to be a persistent threat. She wondered if they had just eliminated them entirely from the playing field before… where would they be now? Certainly, things weren't as entertaining now as they had been when she was working with Obake.

After she had been freed from prison by the enigmatic and deceptively ruthless Liv Amara to render her expert thieving services, Momokase decided to check their former headquarters deep within waters of the San Fransokyo bay. It was apparent that the structure had collapsed under the massive shock from the turbulent waves caused by the "Kaiju cannonball." Based on what was left of the compound, she believed that no human could possibly have made it out of that destruction alive, not even a man as capable as Obake. If he was indeed still within the structure during its collapse, Momokase was almost certain that she had seen the last of that man.

"But I assure you. I joined our 'little club' to eliminate our mutual enemies. And even now, you will help me to do just that," she mused, as she sifted through the hideout's assortment of equipment. Finding a scan jammer device in one of the compartments, she promptly wrapped it around her wrist. It would be essential for her to maneuver without the robot's surveillance capabilities causing her trouble. Her gaze immediately focused on a specialized cabinet in the corner of the room, she grinned as she opened it. Within it, an armory of variously-sized graphene blades were strewn neatly along the cabinet. Momokase affectionately stroked her hand along the flat surface of the blue, translucent blade.

It was always her weapon and tool of choice. Despite its paper-thin thickness, it was proportionally a hundred times stronger than the strongest quality steel. It was the most precise blade in existence, composed of a crystalline allotrope of carbon atoms that were densely-packed in a hexagonal pattern at the atomic level. She had honed her skill with them, for combat or cooking. In terms of swordsmanship, Momokase had considered them an extension of herself. But now, thanks to Liv's "gift," these blades were literally an extension of her body. Donning her trademark black-and-blue sneaking suit, she still opted to carry several graphene knives and her graphene katana within her custom-designed sheaths. She slipped her blue eye mask over her face.

"Hmm… But the robot was still able to track me through my blades…" she thought to herself. She was well aware that Baymax was capable of scanning for the specific heat signature conducted by her blades. It's how they were able to track her movements into the SecuriTech building. By the graphene blades' physical properties, there was no way to stop the robot from scanning for them or somehow masking them from his sensors. But she was certain the resources were here to disrupt the boy and his robot's scanning ability somehow. She continued to look through the large cabinet, noting that Obake had personally stockpiled a massive amount of graphene blades for her use.

There was an even larger supply of graphene shards, the very same kind that he had snuck into her prison cell when he helped her escape. Momokase strolled through the underground compound, noting that the man had planned for many contingencies and had many bases of operation if he so needed. The expansive hideout housed even more of his equipment, Momokase now looking at the numerous automated drones and rogue "buddy guards" housed within several crates. Momokase patted the security drone originally designed by Krei Tech Industries, "And these should do just the trick. But I'm going to need even more."

His state-of-the-art equipment and vast hidden resources were truly versatile enough to suit her needs. But truthfully, she recognized that what made Obake particularly dangerous was the knowledge and actionable intelligence he amassed to make his plans largely successful. The woman walked towards the monitor screen that bore Obake's symbol, activating it and sifting through his amassed data that he compiled. Among them, one had particularly caught her eyes. With a distinct "K" symbol appearing on a folder, she grinned satisfyingly while looking through the various hacked files that were stolen from Alistair Krei's personal database.

She had a personal vendetta of sorts against that man, shuddering at the thought of his etiquette in handling her high-quality sushi work. She prided herself as being the best sushi chef in the city, it was not simply food she created but rather works of art and Krei had trifled them. To Momokase, this was an inexcusable affront to her art. Obake's stolen data would allow her to further exploit Krei Tech as starters for her payback, she smirked, "And that is why you don't drown the finest otoro sushi in soy sauce, Krei-san." Allowing her eyes to shift into her cat-like slit eyes, she was able to sift through the files even quicker as her eyes were better equipped to process it all.

Momokase suddenly paused her search through the sequence of files. Suddenly, the monitor screen was populated by the schematics of a device of particular interest to her and the location where it was being securely housed. It will take her some time to get all that she needed, but once again Obake's intel would fuel her plans. This was her key to baiting Big Hero 6 into another showdown, and should she succeed, perhaps even honor her former colleague. Grinning sinisterly at what she had found, "Hmm… A disintegration device… Well, it's certainly no machine that can create a star. But I'm sure that will do quite nicely for the job."

…

"The night was eerily quiet for our heroes. Not a disturbance in sight, the scene was ripe for something big and bad to happen… because it's been really boring these last few night patrols.," Fred narrated, often to get himself excited for night patrolling but it was evident that the lack of activity was making him both bored and on edge. He continued to super-jump from building top to building top, constantly scanning the area with fervor.

"/Your desire for something big and bad to happen for your entertainment is alarming!/" said his personal "Fred-sitter" Mini-Max who was clad in his blue miniature Baymax-style armor. His miniature thrusters allowed him to fly next to Fred as he jumped from building to building.

"Well, I mean, c'mon! Are all of the criminals and supervillains going to sleep early now? Do we need to do morning patrols now, because I don't like waking up early!" Fred continued to complain while in mid-air, nearly missing his landing as he tried to hop on top of a billboard that happened to have his father in his Boss Awesome disguise on it. Fred looked down at the giant image of his father, "Dad, I bet you never had a dull moment as Boss Awesome."

"/Your father has the highest-crime fighting record of all time! He never had a dull moment because he would travel further out of San Fransokyo to look for crime and help people in need!/" Mini-Max responded to the Kaiju-suit wearing hero, which seemed to excite him.

"You are right, Mini-Max! We should go further out and look for evil-doers!" Fred exclaimed, yelling over the team internal communications. "Umm… no thanks Fred. I've never really been outside of San Fransokyo and I don't think tonight will be the night to change that. I do have to make it home at a reasonable time just in case Aunt Cass comes up to check on me," Hiro responded to his friend as he continued to fly between the city's tall buildings atop Baymax. He could hear Fred grumble in disappointment, which made Hiro chuckle.

"Besides, there has been way too much going on lately. I'm actually just glad to go fly around and enjoy the nighttime city view for once. You know, without having to worry about villains attacking?" Hiro continued, looking out towards the city skyline and enjoying the sensation of simply flying around with Baymax without feeling under duress. Between his school work at SFIT, internship at Krei Tech and his work with Abigail on their project, it had been something of a treat for the young boy to simply enjoy a peaceful flight.

He was nearly complete in developing Abigail's prototype aerial frame suit for a testing phase and he was constantly keeping tabs on his security systems monitoring Krei's use of his microbots. Abigail did not want to overwhelm Hiro with too many tasks, she had actually hoped he would take some time to rest or do something fun. But with how much he is involving himself in these obligations, he admitted that he could not simply forget his obligations to actively patrol and protect the people of San Fransokyo. No matter what was going on personally, he felt that it was his duty to keep "superheroing." The team usually rotated in smaller teams of two to three members for the night patrols, allowing the others to rest or be on standby if they are truly needed. This night was Hiro, Baymax and Fred's turn to night patrol.

"/Fred, it is recommended to do activities that you enjoy to properly manage your stress levels. For example, Hiro's therapy for stress includes flying./" Baymax chimed in, attempting to advise Fred on the peaceful situation. Hiro simply smiled as he looked down at his flying healthcare companion, "That's right, buddy."

"Yeah, well it's been several days since we actually got to fight a supervillain. And that's my stress relief therapy! And the last fight was a doozy with Momokase. Who I still wonder how she got her 'Phase two' upgrades? I have to admit; graphene nails are pretty cool. But I wonder how she scratches herself though?" Fred pondered as he tried to picture Momokase being frustrated at not being able to scratch an itch without worrying about cutting herself.

"/Very carefully is how Momokase would scratch herself!" Mini-Max offered an answer to the suit-wearing hero. "You are so right, Mini-Max," Fred agreed rather seriously, as if it was a question worth thinking deeply about.

"/I am detecting suspicious activity at the shipping yard,/" Baymax suddenly alerted the heroes. Immediately, Freddy squealed with joy, "Oh yeah, time for some hero action. Looks like we have a shipment to catch!" Baymax cocked his head curiously, "/I do not see how it would be safe for you to catch a shipment. The shipping crates are very heavy, weighing approximately 2,300 kilograms on their own and can hold up to a payload capacity of 25,000 kilograms. I do not recommend catching them./"

"Yeah… I'm going to need that in pounds, please? I don't use kilograms…" Fred responded on the internal communications. "Fred… that's really heavy. All you need to know… but not important right now. C'mon, hop onto Baymax and we'll check this out," Hiro stated as Baymax flew close to Fred to pick him up and adjust their heading towards the shipping yard. Mini-Max in Fred's hands since his miniature thrusters would not be able to keep up with Baymax's flight speed.

As they approached the shipping yard, they noticed that there were several holes within many of the shipping containers with objects flying out of them but promptly disappearing from view. Hiro quickly noted that the containers were all Krei Tech Industries freight containers. He knew right away what they were dealing with, but there were way more shipping containers opened and they could be facing an overwhelming amount of "buddy guards."

Hiro tapped the side of his helmet, saying unsteadily "Umm… Gogo? I think we're going to need that back-up right about now…" Shortly, they heard Gogo respond, "Suiting up, on the way soon." Hiro sighed, realizing this was not going to be one of the peaceful night flights he was hoping for.

They heard Honey Lemon checking in, "What are we going up against, Hiro?" The young hero chuckled somewhat nervously as they got closer and saw a seemingly endless stream of buddy guards pouring out of the crates, "Umm… Buddy guards… Lots and lots of buddy guards." In the background, they could hear Wasabi shuddering, "Could be Noodle Burger Boy again. I don't think I'm mentally prepared to face more flying dumplings." Hiro thought that Wasabi could be right, although there was not yet any sign of the culprit activating all of these buddy guards, he had to guess that this was probably Noodle Burger Boy and Trina's doing.

Now within range, the buddy guards that were still visible began to move towards the heroes. "Well I hope they do turn into dumplings! Because I prefer them to be fried!" Fred exclaimed as he leapt off of Baymax's arm towards the ground while he breathed fire against several buddy guards on his way down. "Baymax! Rocket fist!" Hiro pointed towards the incoming swarm of buddy guards, Baymax promptly aiming his fist and projecting his rocket fist to destroy several of the buddy guards that were bunched closer together. They immediately began to disperse and present less targets of opportunity. "/Oh no./" Baymax simply said as the buddy guards began to shoot lasers at the two. "Baymax, evasive maneuvers!" Hiro commanded, Baymax immediately complying and conducting several evasive barrel rolls, climbing altitude and rapidly diving to avoid the lasers.

Hiro found himself grinning, enjoying the sensation of G-forces pulling at him and the adrenaline rush of narrowly dodging danger. He had to admit, this type of flying was also good for his mental health too. "/Hiro, your neurotransmitter levels are-/" Baymax pointed out seemingly nonchalantly while they were being fired at, shortly being interrupted by Hiro. "I know, buddy. Let's try to focus on this, though!" As they dodged, Baymax was able to continue his rocket fist attacks on the buddy guards. But to both Hiro and Fred's dismay, the remaining visible buddy guards were activating their flexible display technology to be invisible to the naked eye. "/Oh no. I can no longer target them as effectively,/" Baymax pointed out.

"Great! They're all going invisible! And I don't have any ketchup!" Fred exclaimed as he continued to jump around and breathe fire around him in hopes he would get some of the buddy guards. "/I do not see how making this situation tastier with ketchup would help us defeat the buddy guards?/" Mini-Max asked, he too was trying to protect Fred with his mini-maximum rocket fist. "Baymax! Rocket fist targets from the locations they are firing from!" Hiro exclaimed, prompting Baymax to attack where the buddy guards were firing from even when they were invisible. They were able to destroy several of them using this strategy. But they needed backup soon, there were a lot of Krei Tech crates open and undoubtedly a lot more drones than he had initially seen were floating around "invisible-style."

Hiro looked down to see the familiar yellow discs that were flying in the air towards the invisible drones currently firing. Occasionally, the discs would not only hit one drone but ricochet on others as Gogo magnetically retrieved her flying weapons. Her bubble gum popping beneath her visor, "Hiro, we're here. Well at least I am, Wasabi is still driving here with Honey Lemon." She sighed as she tried to persuade Wasabi to drive above the speed limit.

Eventually, a small grey car pulled up in between some crates, seeing a man in green come out of the driver's seat and being comically large in proportion to the small vehicle. "We're here, but I don't see any buddy guards! Just lasers, lots of lasers!" Wasabi exclaimed as he switched on his plasma blades from his forearms, quickly using them to defend himself from incoming lasers. He ran away from his car, pleading the buddy guards, "Just don't hit my car!"

"Hiro! Freddy! Baymax! We're here to help!" Honey Lemon notified them as she gained some distance away from Wasabi's car, prepping several chem-balls and using them to attack at the invisible drones while using other chem-balls on the fly to maneuver and defend herself. Hiro thought about Fred's odd ketchup comment, since he was not there when the first buddy guard malfunctioned and attacked the gang. After all, he was out stalking Mr. Krei and Aunt Cass on their date. But he figured that he probably used the red liquid to help locate the invisible buddy guard. This sparked an idea, Hiro called out to Honey Lemon, "Hey, Honey Lemon! You think you could serve our buddies some 'ketchup,' please?"

Honey Lemon understood what Hiro was asking for, remembering Fred's strategy to take locate the buddy guards. "Okay, Hiro! Coming right up!" she yelled as she quickly keyed into her chem-purse for the desired chemicals she wanted. "Baymax, get ready to rocket fist," Hiro alerted his healthcare companion. "/All right. I am ready./" he simply responded, his fist now pointed in the direction above Honey Lemon. Promptly receiving a completed chem-ball, she tossed it in the air. "Now!" Hiro quickly commanded, Baymax immediately aimed at the chem-ball and fired his rocket fist when the ball was at the apex height of the throw. Baymax's rocket fist precisely impacted the chem-ball as a red, thick fluid burst out of it, showering the vicinity enough to land and identify the hidden buddy guards.

Some of the red thick fluid landed on Wasabi, who quickly shuddered, "Eww. Eww. No! That's helpful but disgusting!" He tried to wipe off some of the liquid on his suit in between his slashing of the now more visible automated drones. With the ones in the vicinity marked, the team was able to engage each of the drones more effectively until they realized there were no more buddy guards attacking them. Hiro commented on this unusual development, "That's odd. There would definitely be a lot more buddy guards attacking us right now." Wasabi immediately chimed in, "Yeah, but I'm definitely not going to complain about not having killer invisible floating drones shooting at me."

The majority of the buddy guards had probably become invisible and left the vicinity. So, Hiro went down to investigate the opened crates. He had really thought it could be Noodle Burger Boy or Trina, perhaps trying to amass some form of an artificial intelligence 'club' of killer machines." But as he observed all of the openings, he had noticed that these were opened up with extreme precision and with perfect circles. The team all went to observe the scene alongside Hiro, realizing who they were most likely dealing with.

Wasabi walked up close to touch the precisely cut openings, "Can only get this level of precision with graphene blades. We know what that means then-" He was immediately interrupted by the excited Fred, "Oh! So now Noodle Burger Boy is using graphene blades. It makes sense, he worked with Momokase and she probably taught him."

"Or Momokase was the one who did this?" Gogo chimed in snidely towards Fred. Simply nodding his head, Fred concurred so-to-speak, "Yeah, that sounds like another possibility. So we got two possible culprits now, the sword-wielding Noodle Burger Boy or Momokase!" Wasabi and Gogo looked at Fred with an incredulous expression. Honey Lemon chimed in, "Yeah, I think it's safe to say that Momokase did this, Freddy. But good thinking outside of the box!"

"But the question is: why would Momokase need all of those buddy guards? What is she planning?" Hiro voiced the team's concerns. He turned towards his armored healthcare companion, "Baymax! Can you scan for Momokase?" The visor of Baymax's helmet flooded with grids as he looked around, "/Unable to locate Momokase./"

Gogo offered, "She could be using a scan jammer again." Hiro nodded, looking to Baymax, "Any scanner interference, Baymax?" Baymax scanned again momentarily, "I am detecting interference consistent with previous scan jammer use." Wasabi looked towards Baymax, "Can you scan for graphene heat signatures again? She's got to have those blades on her."

"/Certainly. Scanning…/" Baymax continued to scan, but the image overlays and grids on his visor display were lighting up erratically. "Baymax? What's going on?" Hiro asked the robot, who appeared to be scanning for longer than usual. "/I am detecting 253 individual graphene heat signatures, moving at a randomized directions throughout the city./" They all gasped in surprise, Fred exclaimed in excitement, "Do you know what this means, guys!? Momokase has gotten her hands on a cloning device and now we have 253 'crazy-knife-ladies' running around San Fransokyo. This just like when the 'Human Fist' had to face a hundred 'Dr. Gloves' until he found the real one in issue-."

Hiro politely interrupted Fred, "Actually, I think I know why she got all of those buddy guards. She's having them carry graphene on them to mask her actual whereabouts amongst a sea of graphene signatures. Couple that with them being invisible and no one would be the wiser that they were everywhere. Attempting to go after every single one would be difficult and ineffective, we'll need a better way to filter out the signatures to isolate which one is most likely her. She now has graphene coursing through her body somehow, with her sudden mutations. I don't know how she's doing that, but she can't hide herself anymore with that in her body. So she has to disrupt our scanning ability with all of the buddy guards. We have to be on our toes, we might not be able to take her down until she actually makes a move." Everyone agreed, but Baymax cocked his head, "/It is not recommended to stay on your toes, this could cause foot injuries. Standing flat along the soles of your feet is more effective and safe./"

Hiro chuckled, "Just an expression, buddy. Means staying alert and cautious, is all." Baymax stood up tall, seemingly surprised, "/Oh./" There wasn't much more they could do. They did not have an effective way to take down the diversionary buddy guards that were seemingly weaving throughout the city undetected. Nor did they have a means yet to discern which signature was actually Momokase. The team prepared to leave the battle scene as law enforcement were on their way. It was quite a night and they needed rest, they would just have to be prepared to act once Momokase becomes active again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well, took this opportunity to create a chapter and story that fills the gap in the series: where and what has Momokase been doing throughout the season? Is she still mentally with it or does she have similar control over her powers like Mr. Sparkles? Second only to Obake, Momokase is one of my favorite villains and worked well with Obake. Seemed that he considered her to be a more competent and capable colleague. She's dangerous in direct combat but she also had the cunning to devise plans with Obake's intel. So, with her absence in the second season after "Seventh Wheel" I wanted her to have some part in this series.


	16. The Lady Kabuki

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro introduces Abigail to her prototype exosuit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series

The Penitent Sparrow

Chapter 16: The Lady Kabuki

White sparks flared out as Hiro carefully pressed the white armor component into the circular saw, trimming the edges and fine-tuning it to his desired specifications. Satisfied, he shut down the saw and took the armor component towards an exoskeleton frame that was about to be completed. Its frame had a sleek and minimalistic design, Hiro had designed it much like Gogo's suit and took cues from the APOLLO aircraft design to allow for maximum aerodynamics and speed in maneuverability. Hiro took the white armor piece and placed it on the left shoulder of the exoskeleton, completing its shoulder guard.

"And that's that… Now to do some function checks and run some diagnostics. ODIN, can you conduct a range of motion test on the left upper extremity, please?" Hiro requested of the A.I., which was now being housed within the exoskeleton to run its functions. "/Most certainly, Captain Cutie,/" ODIN responded, much to Hiro's dismay at his callsign. He had made modifications to ODIN's coding to have more of a regal, sophisticated persona that inextricably sounded like Fred's butler, Heathcliff. He was rather tempted to change ODIN's callsign for him too.

ODIN complied with Hiro's request and caused the exoskeleton to move its left arm in various directions to make sure that the armor was moving fluidly without any impingements. "/There appears to be no issues with the left arm's movements, good sir/" ODIN informed Hiro, who smiled with satisfaction. "Good! Well that's that for the body mechanics part of the equation. But onto the good stuff. ODIN, please conduct a movement test of the rear thruster systems at the shoulder blades at my command. Begin with yaw left and right movements…"

"/Very well, Captain Cutie. Conducting a movement test for both rear thrusters maneuvering systems. Yawing left… now right…/" ODIN responded as the suit's rear thrusters moved right and left, Hiro simply nodded as he crossed his arms. "Good, now pitch up and down. Then roll left and right…" he stated, continuing to observe the mechanical functioning of the system, this was crucial before allowing Abigail to test it in the air. The thrusters moved up and down, then moved unilaterally in each direction that would allow the frame to barrel roll or rotate on its own axis. "Great! You're about ready to go airborne!" Hiro exclaimed in excitement. "/Indeed, Captain Cutie/" ODIN concurred, Hiro's excitement stifled by his "hero name." "Yeah… I need to think of a better name to replace that…" he muttered.

"Okay, one more thing then! ODIN, deploy emergency parachute system!" Hiro raised his fist towards the exoskeleton in excitement. "/Take caution, deploying reserve parachute systems now/" ODIN warned, as the back compartment between the thruster system shot straight back and a parachute deployed across the lab room. From around the corner of the open entrance door, familiar voices were heard approaching the lab room. "Baymax, you shouldn't give Alistair a back massage, anymore. He'll never let you leave and keep- Whoah!" Abigail was nearly smacked by the deploying chute but was snatched back by Baymax in time to avoid it.

"/Abigail, it is recommended to watch where you are going to look out for hazardous threats/" Baymax advised her, and she sighed. "Thanks, Baymax! But it's not normal to expect a parachute to shoot towards you, inside of a building no less… But I am relieved to see its functioning, boy genius!"

She laughed as she looked towards Hiro across the room next to the exoskeleton, the young boy was laughing nervously and waving his hand to greet them. "Sorry about that, Abigail! Umm… ODIN, please recover the emergency chute… But yeah, the good news is we'll get to have you test it out today, what do you say?" the boy laughed unsteadily, watching as the parachute was being reeled back into the exoskeleton's back. "Seriously?! You think you even have to ask? Of course, I've been reeling to get back into the skies!" Abigail exclaimed, her and Baymax walking across the lab to see the suit up close. Hiro exclaimed, "Great!"

As Abigail walked towards the updated exosuit, she commented, "I was hoping you'd have a relaxing night away from all this, but Honey Lemon tells me you guys had quite the night patrol last night." It was interesting to note that, lately, Abigail had been spending more time with Honey Lemon and sometimes even with Gogo. The girls had apparently taken a liking to Abigail's company and it certainly allows them to have their "girl time." And at that, "girl time" their own way. Honey Lemon and Abigail could be quite energetic and explore things together, sometimes shopping together for fashionable outfits in downtown San Fransokyo. Not to mention, Gogo had finally found a roller blading and sparring partner in Abigail, forming a mutual respect based on a shared love for all things fast and tough. Outside of their special project, Abigail was enjoying her time with the girls and Hiro had to admit that he was glad to see them get along well.

Thinking about the other night's encounter with the buddy guards, Hiro chuckled, "Yeah, you could say that." Abigail's eyebrow furled with curiosity and a hint of concern in her voice, "You guys think it's that crazy knife lady Aunt Cass beat in a food fight? And you romantically saved Karmi from?" Hiro frowned in annoyance, "I'm not going to agree with a part of that, but yes, we think it's Momokase. But right now, I am stumped on how we can single out her graphene heat signature out of all of Baymax's readings. So, for now, it's the waiting game until we can get her on her next move."

"Well, between all of your big brains, I am sure you will figure something out. But please be careful out there. Crime-fighting isn't my area of expertise, but I'll help where I can for trying to locate her," Abigail reassured the young hero. "Thanks, Abigail. But… Well, how about something we can help move along. Want to see how your exosuit is coming?" Hiro responded, although he had honestly did not consider or think to solicit help from Abigail on Big Hero 6 crime-fighting matters, she hadn't come here to him to do that. "But of course! I've been thinking about it for the past few days!" she exclaimed giddily.

Hiro got excited, "Great! Then I can unveil some of the features I added into the design since you last saw it. And it was barely skin and bones then, wait until you see some of the modifications that I put in for you!" Abigail smiled at the young boy's enthusiasm, but she was honestly quite giddy to see this prototype. She knocked on the exoskeleton's armored layer like it was a door, "It's a really sleek design, but I'm surprised the plating seems pretty heavy. Isn't that a bit excessive?"

Hiro chuckled, "Well, actually a lot of the modifications I intend to emplace in our suits, along with the help of the gang, will be to make sure that we are safe on the other side. That's reinforced titanium alloy to take an extra beating if need be, same kind my team uses in our 'Ultra Armor' configurations. Of course, you know that you will have to factor the weight with how you fly but I imagine that wouldn't be an issue for you." Abigail raised her eyebrows at the boy, "You think we're going to fight aliens on the other side or something?"

Hiro laughed and shook his head, "No, it's just that…Hmm… Right, you were still taking your long nap! When Baymax and I got you, that side of Silent Sparrow had a lot of Krei Tech debris from when the building was sucked into it. It's really dangerous, it's… what damaged Baymax's armor and made his thrusters inoperable. So, everything I am designing into our suits will be to address those threats." Abigail sighed and simply nodded, "Thanks, Hiro. We'll definitely need everything going for us to make sure we can handle situations like that. So… what else you got for my new toy?"

"Glad you asked! I was thinking, if you need to manually extricate Baymax from some debris, you may need some additional strength to manipulate rather large structures without too much trouble. So…" Hiro smiled giddily as he pressed a button on the suit's collar bone, causing the exoskeleton's armor frame to open up for ease of donning it. Within the armor was a black bodysuit with a notable hexagonal design and purple circuitry running along it. "I'd like to introduce you to 'Nano-dex 2.0!' It's smart fabric with nano-compression circuitry to enhance natural muscle movement. In other words, in addition to the exoskeleton's powered functions, this bodysuit gives you 'super-strength.' It's actually a modification to my original design… that caused some troubles and I couldn't take off…" Hiro seemed to mutter like a stifled disclaimer, Abigail looking at him with a worried expression.

Hiro caught himself, "But don't worry! That won't be a problem now! My original Nano-dex was actually excessively strong and lacked a means to control its intensity. So it just kept tightening whenever I tried to take it off. But this one is also a sort of soft flexible armor, took a bit to get it just right but I created the outer layer of the body suit to have a titanium nanocomposite layer. Flexibly woven armor with no hindrance to your movement. Altogether, this will function to protect you and provide you with up to five times your natural strength output. And! You will be able to finely control its intensity thanks to this…"

Hiro opened the visor of the exosuit's helmet, revealing the inside that looked comfortably cushioned but also had an elaborate array of electrode sensors strewn throughout the inner lining. "The upgraded neurotransmitter, which I like to call the 'Enhanced Neural Interface.' It certainly beats Mr. Krei's cheap, knock-off design and even surpasses my original design intended for microbot use. As I promised, even faster neural input and responsive output times that will feel like it's really a part of you. You'll really be feeling super in this thing and it will feel completely natural! If having super-strength and self-flight was natural, of course."

Abigail crossed her arms and shook her head in amazement, "Don't let this get to your head, but you really are brilliant, kid. I'd keep this design close to your chest, I know a lot of agencies and entities that would love to get their hands on this tech. But really, you got some serious talent, Hiro." The young boy softly scratched his cheek with bashful pride as he chuckled, "Thanks. But it's made specifically for you, so I know it will remain in good hands." She smiled at the gesture. Abigail was thoroughly impressed; the boy genius had developed a functional aerial exoskeletal frame suit that had immense potential for combat capabilities. The APOLLO Project was already revolutionary, but Hiro had just created an even more minimal design that truly enhanced the capabilities of a human user and expanded on the APOLLO's intended purpose. It was a true marriage of human and machine. She had to admit, the boy genius truly was a visionary. And she would have the honor of testing out his design.

"You said that it's all a powered exoskeletal system, this is a lot of tech. What's capable of powering this for an extended operation?" Abigail asked as she walked around the aerial frame suit, her hand affectionately running along its surface as she inspected the suit's features up close. "I installed 'sub-critical hyper-capacitors' to power the suit, it's an advanced upgrade to conventional supercapacitors but I improved them by adding a critical component… using what I learned from making the energy amplifier," Hiro explained as he tried to quickly mutter the last sentence. Abigail's face glared at him as if he was doing something dangerous and against Granville's wishes. Hiro quickly waved his arms to not alarm Abigail.

Hiro got anxious like he needed to explain himself or he would get in trouble, his voice cracking intermittently, "Don't worry! It's not as volatile or anywhere near the scale of output that my energy amplifier is capable of generating. It's just that for your systems to function optimally out there, you need more than the supercapacitors that even Baymax uses. Otherwise it will surely shut down mid-flight and we don't want that, right? For this, I consider it a micro-version of the energy amplifier, using a less intense energy particle beam to stimulate reactions that will power a small particle accelerator for energy profit and additional power generation. Same principle but it's not anywhere near as intense!"

Abigail sighed, "Well, if you really think it's necessary… You are the super genius and I'm sure you learned your lesson. Your star-creating days are behind you I'm sure." Abigail joked as she punched the young boy in his arm. Hiro chuckled as he rubbed his arm tenderly, noting that Abigail and Gogo seemed to keep hitting him in the same spot and it was getting a tad sore. "Well, technically I didn't make the star so…. But thanks Abigail, just please don't mention that little detail to Professor Granville," Hiro pleaded. Abigail rolled her eyes at the boy, "Okay, boy genius. I pinky promise." Abigail raised her hand towards the boy playfully as her pinky extended towards him, he laughed and wrapped his pinky opposite to her for their pinky swear agreement.

"But this is all really nifty stuff. No offense… but this all seems to beat the current tech your team is all using at the moment," Abigail pointed out as she admired the suit. Hiro laughed, "Doesn't offend me, I made it all, remember? But no, I am actually going to make some similar upgrades to our suits too in the near future. But they will be meant for contingencies when even our Ultra Armor isn't enough for the situation. You know, like some 'break open in case of utter catastrophe' kind of suits. But hey! You can consider yours a prototype to the next-generation Big Hero 6 suits!" Hiro beamed with pride and enthusiasm, Abigail could tell that there was undoubtedly so many ideas that were in his head that would be in the works for the future.

"I'm guessing you have more plans for the suit? You mentioned that there was a lot of dangerous debris for us to consider, I am a fan of having extra protection capabilities and all… but what about armaments? If I can avoid having objects come at me by blasting them away, I would be a very happy girl," Abigail joked as she looked at the boy. Hiro grinned, moving towards the holographic screen and waving his hands to access schematic files. He briefly opened a file, holographic displays of various weapon concepts strewn throughout the screen. Abigail's face brightened and she almost drooled in her excitement, but Hiro suddenly clasped his hand to collapse and hide the file.

"Hey!" Abigail yelled in disappointment, seeing the boy laugh as he provided her only a short glimpse of what he was working on. "That's just a teaser for what's to come, it's still in the works but trust me, it will be epic!" Her eyes narrowed at the young boy in frustration, he waved his arms in front to calm her down and be ready just in case she wanted to punch his arm again. "Hey, don't give me that look! You'll just have to wait until it's ready! And besides, we shouldn't worry about weapon armaments until we've actually got your test flight in, remember?"

Abigail's face calmed down and she smiled again, "Aunt Cass never taught you it's not nice to tease a girl like that?" Hiro looked at her peculiarly, "You mean did she ever teach me not to tease an adrenaline junkie woman with weapons meant for her flying super-suit? Then no, no she did not." Abigail's eyes narrowed once again at the boy's snarky retort, swiftly but lightly punching his arm again. He winced and laughed.

"Ow! Why do you and Gogo keep on hitting me in the exact same spot!?" Hiro asked, now placing his arms up to defend himself against any follow-on "attacks." "/On a scale from one to ten, how would you-/" Baymax chimed in to check on the boy. "Three, Baymax. Just a three," Hiro promptly answered his healthcare companion with a laugh, trying to play it off like her punches weren't actually making him a bit sore.

Abigail chuckled and gave him that distinctly conniving look, "Hmm… Didn't know Gogo and I did that. Well, guess I'll have to coordinate with her and we'll bring up your pain rating if you keep getting too fresh with us. It certainly won't be a 'three.'" Her expression and tone were both playful and yet menacing, the thought of her and Gogo ganging up on him made Hiro flinch and shudder. "Oh… No, that won't be necessary. I happen to like having an arm that works, thank you… But hey! How about we take your suit out for a spin?" the boy responded nervously, Abigail noting that the boy was trying to redirect their conversation to appease her and rolled her eyes at him. But she simply laughed and placed her hand softly towards his shoulder, Hiro flinched his arms up to be ready to block another light punch. "Relax! I'm just messing with you! Besides… haven't talked to Gogo about it yet…"

Hiro quickly snapped his face at her, narrowing his eyes at her scheming. Abigail waved her hands to try to calm the young boy, "I'm just kidding! Maybe! But I'd love to test fly it." Hiro sighed with stifled and skeptical relief, "Okay… I'll have ODIN run some of the last diagnostics on it and then we can get this going!" The boy genius turned around to type away at a holographically projected keypad, "Hey ODIN? Could you conduct the last of the function tests and operational flight diagnostics?"

"/It would be my pleasure, Captain Cutie/" ODIN promptly responded as the holographic display populated with various coding and loading bars for the tests being conducted. Hiro's face looked unamused at Abigail, who was stifling her laughter at assigning that callsign for him on ODIN's systems. But she was also happy that ODIN finally had some personality and life to him, thanks to Hiro's modifications to his programming. She raised her hand with her forefinger up to grab Hiro's attention, "One question, boy genius. Since you have singlehandedly developed one of the most technologically-advanced prototype designs I've ever seen in my career… I was wondering if you gave it all a name?"

Hiro's face contorted as he had to think about it, "Hmm… Well I do like to name my projects and I have been bouncing around different names… I suppose for an official designation, I would call it the 'AEXOS System,' short for 'Aerial Exosuit.'" Abigail smiled, liking the name. "But… this is meant specifically for you, so I imagine a cooler name would be more appropriate. So how about we call this exosuit 'The Lady Kabuki?'" This was a very meaningful name to her, she instantly approved of the boy's proposed name of the exosuit. Abigail smirked, resting a hand on her hip, "Hmm… very thoughtful of you. Thank you, Hiro… I take it back, kid. I guess Aunt Cass taught you how to be a thoughtful gentleman. Karmi is such a lucky girl… no wonder she thinks Captain Cutie is so deep and romantic."

Hiro shot her a flustered and annoyed face, sharply turning around to continue working on finalizing some of the diagnostics and calibrations. "I'm not her….!" He just groaned as he tried to hide his face, working feverishly on the finalizations and lifting his hood over his head while Abigail laughed maniacally. Attempting to dismiss her last comment, he looked back to her and then towards the exosuit, "Well, I'd say you're the lucky one. Wait until you get to take the fair lady out for a spin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Thanks for reading! Just have been thinking a lot on how Hiro has made some really great inventions and yet him and his team are only slowly getting some crime-fighting upgrades. I hope that in the actual series, he will be able to revisit old concepts and integrate them. But anyways, thanks again for reading and hope you are enjoying this series!


	17. Test Flight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro accompanies Abigail for her exosuit test flight

The Penitent Sparrow  
Chapter 17: Test Flight

The young hero clad in purple-plated armor pressed away at his tablet, promptly releasing its connection from the AEXOS frame. He smiled triumphantly, looking towards Abigail and enthusiastically beckoning her to come along. “She’s all ready for you, Abigail. How about we get this show on the road?” Hiro welcomed her towards the exosuit, his voice slightly reverberating through his mask. Baymax chimed in curiously, “/But Hiro, won’t she be in the sky and not on the road? /” The young boy chuckled, “That’s right, buddy. I guess let’s get this show in the sky, then?”

Abigail smiled as she walked towards the exosuit, always enjoying the wholesome interactions between the boy and his robotic healthcare companion. “Yeah, let’s take the lady out to town,” she said playfully as Hiro guided her to walk backwards into the exoskeleton to match its posture. “Okay, first you need to get yourself into the Flexible-Armor Nano-Dex Suit, which we will call the F.A.N.S. system, since acronyms are fun,” Hiro joked as he guided Abigail to the bodysuit that goes under the armored exoskeleton frame. “You’ll notice it’s loose for now, should make it easier to get into and then seal it up,” Hiro explained as Abigail closed the seams of the black bodysuit with hexagonal scales. 

“Next, walk backwards and get your head into the helmet, the neurotransmitter system will react to you and then should get moving rather quickly. So, don’t be alarmed,” the young genius advised the pilot. “Takes a bit more to get me alarmed. But- Whoa! This is really cool,” Abigail got excited as the nano-dex titanium nanocomposite bodysuit had compressed to contour to her body. Its purple circuitry glowing briefly. The rest of the exosuit was also responding, Abigail could feel and hear the armor components ergonomically fitting onto the bodysuit and adding additional structural support to her body.

The visor on her helmet closed and the digital heads-up-display (HUD) flashed with various real-time data streaming on it, creating a digital overlay that scanned the environment. “/Good evening, Miss Abigail. I trust you are ready for an evening flight through the city proper? /” a regal, gentlemanly voice could be heard within Abigail’s helmet, immediately realizing it was ODIN. She smiled in excitement, “Hey ODIN, glad to have you aboard for our little skyward tour.” A corner of her HUD populated with ODIN’s sigil, an intricate runic design of the Norse god’s face, “/I wouldn’t miss it, my lady. /”

The armored Baymax and Hiro looked at Abigail as she began to move around, she was conducting some dynamic stretches to get a feel for the exosuit. Her movements were fluid and lacked any impingements. She was pleased with how it felt, “I have to say, the way it feels… Almost forget that I am wearing reinforced titanium armor.” Hiro laughed, crossing his arms, “Yeah, you could thank that to how I designed the exoskeleton and the Nano-dex 2.0 system. It will augment your natural muscle movement and reinforce your postural structure. The Enhanced Neural Interface neurotransmitter also makes those systems move seamlessly with you without too much conscious thought. For all intents and purposes, the ‘Lady Kabuki’ is truly an extension and a part of you.”

“Yeah, you aren’t kidding,” Abigail chuckled as she began maneuvering her body, practicing her footwork and practicing her striking as she shadow-boxed. With a sharp and consecutive jab and cross, she seamlessly followed up with a “Muy Thai-style” high roundhouse kick at head-level and spun around with the momentum. Maintaining her arms up in her kickboxing stance, she rapidly dashed forward by using her rear thruster systems to practice a flying knee towards her visualized opponent in her mind. Her movements flowed and were streamlined, all purposeful and no wasted movement. It was no surprise to Hiro that Abigail and Gogo had gotten close, they were both avid fighters and respected each other. Even in a friendly sparring match, seeing them go at it would be a sight to behold.

Hiro smiled as he observed Abigail’s movements, he had a developed appreciation for the martial arts very much thanks in part to Tadashi. His older brother had always worried for him, Hiro was always far smaller than his older classmates and was prone to bullying. Of course, Tadashi would do his best to be around and put people in their place. But Tadashi wanted Hiro to be able to defend himself and the two would practice traditional Japanese martial arts, ranging from traditional Japanese Jiu-Jitsu, along with its offshoots of Aikido and Olympic-style Judo. Hiro wasn’t quite as accomplished in the arts as Tadashi, but Tadashi did instill in him that fighting is a thinking man’s art and technique can outclass brute strength. To his dismay, Hiro was still very small framed, but Tadashi taught him to use his brain and his technique to find another angle and fight to prevail.

Hiro was impressed with how quickly she was getting used to the armor, and more so, adapting it to her style. As she got used to the exoskeleton and, especially, managing the intensity of the nano-dex, Hiro noticed that she was moving faster and more explosively. Every now and then, she would lose her footing as she tried to adjust the nano-compression circuitry augmenting her movements. She grinned like a little child, she was enjoying every moment of it. “I told you, boy genius. Watch out, there are a lot of folks who would want this tech,” she spoke in between her flurries of punches and kicks. 

The young boy chuckled as he rubbed the back of his helmet bashfully, “Yeah, well it’s not for sale and it stays with me.” Abigail paused to catch her breath, looking at the boy genius, “Good. That’s how it should be. I’m just happy to have it on loan to me.” She chuckled, composing herself and steadying her breath. She noted that, under normal circumstances, such movements at that intensity would normally cause her to be more out of breath. But the exosuit’s augmentation of her movements made it less physically taxing. 

“Well, how about the moment of truth? Want to try out your flight control system?” Hiro asked excitedly, running to hop onto Baymax’s back. The magnetic locks on his hands and shoes connecting with Baymax’s magnetic ports. Baymax immediately release his wings to the sides and began to control his thrusters enough for a light hover above the ground. “/We will be ready for any medical emergencies, Abigail, /” Baymax informed her as he maintained his position. Abigail chuckled, “That’s very reassuring, Baymax. Thank you.” Baymax simply nodded, “/You are welcome, Abigail. /” Hiro shook his head and smiled, looking at his heroic robot companion. 

“For now, let’s take it slow as you get used to the controls. You have four thrusters to propel you, two at your feet and of course the two rear thrusters along your shoulder blades. I’m sure with the APOLLO, you’re probably already familiar with providing the right neural inputs to control your throttles for the right amount of output. How about we start with a hover?” Hiro suggested, casually allowing Baymax to demonstrate hovering from his feet thrusters.

Briefly, Abigail’s thrusters all activated intensely and propelled her upwards. Lowering the intensity of the thrusters, she was finding the sweet spot to allow her to hover. “/Might I suggest maintaining thrusters at less than 10% total output, Miss Abigail? /” ODIN recommended, as he was monitoring her flight controls. Abigail began to hover more steadily, working to find her balance between finding the right positioning for her feet and her rear thrusters. “Thanks, ODIN. This sure is different from flying an aircraft, that’s for sure. The APOLLO made me feel like the ship was a part of my body. But now, it is my body that’s determining how I move,” she commented as she seemed to become steadier and more comfortable.

“Well, seems like you are already getting the hang of it! We’ll be with you when you’re ready to practice your maneuvers. I sent an AR (Augmented Reality) overlay to ODIN, he should be highlighting a scripted flight course I programmed for you to be able to practice your controls at a faster speed. Once you feel comfortable, start running through the flight course. ODIN and I will be recording data and making sure things are running smoothly,” Hiro informed Abigail as he instructed Baymax to fly higher. On his visor, the boy was able to see the exact same AR overlay as Abigail, taking note of the holographic display that guided throughout the surrounding airspace.

Still hovering lightly, Abigail looked up at the sky to observe the holographic AR overlay course that Hiro scripted. “Hmm… like a video game, huh? Remind me again, are we working right now or playing?” she questioned playfully. She could hear Hiro laugh in the internal communications net, “Perhaps both?” Abigail smiled, “Wouldn’t have it any other way. I am one happy girl right now.” She throttled her thrusters to propel her quickly up, rapidly gaining altitude and aligning her with the holographic waypoints guiding her. Baymax and Hiro flew parallel to her, observing and standing by for any complications.

“So much for taking it slow, huh?” Hiro remarked as Abigail was picking up speed and maneuvering through the air, he noticed that she was already getting used to how the exosuit handles. Perhaps this was on account of the exosuit’s direct neural connection for enhanced control or it was due to Abigail’s previous experience as pilot with a similar system. Or a combination thereof. “This isn’t really something you take slow,” Abigail laughed over the comms as she sped through the last waypoint of Hiro’s test flight AR course. “Out of everything I’ve flown in my career, this by far, takes the cake. Nothing else handles like this.”  
“/Abigail, your exosuit does not require cake as a sustenance. It runs on a ‘subcritical reactor hyper-capacitor’ for power production- /“ Baymax noted. “Just an expression, Baymax,” Abigail laughed as she, Baymax and Hiro began to hover in place at a high altitude overlooking the San Fransokyo bay. “Well, you got used to the controls rather quickly but didn’t expect anything less! Didn’t seem like much of challenge for you. So! I wanted to up the ante a little and see if you’d like a more difficult challenge?” Hiro asked, as he pressed on his helmet to reveal some overlays on his visor. Abigail laughed, “You know me so well. What else you got for me?”

“Great! I’ll show you. ODIN, could please display AR course overlay ‘San Fransokyo Time Trial 1-A’ for Abigail’s HUD?” Hiro requested, to which ODIN promptly replied. “/Most certainly, Hiro /” ODIN responded, Abigail noting that the boy finally changed his name on ODIN’s system from Karmi’s endearing hero name. An augmented reality overlay populated on their visors, including Baymax’s, with a colorful holographic course that spanned into the main city and beyond it. Abigail noticed that there were holographic obstacles that were moving haphazardly along the course.

“As you’ve noticed, there are holographic debris that will be moving randomly throughout this course. Consider it as good practice to maneuver around to prepare for Silent Sparrow’s messy side. Won’t hurt you, of course, but hitting them will cause a time penalty adding onto your total course time split,” Hiro explained as Abigail took the time to quickly scan over the course plot. “Now, this is going to be even more fun,” Abigail exclaimed, getting amped up to try it out. Hiro smiled, “Yeah, you’re telling me. Forgot to mention, I’ll be running the course against you. Don’t worry, I’ll try to go easy on you. Consider it a friendly competitive race, what do you say?” 

“You sure you want to challenge me? No one has ever out-flown me and I’ve been flying since you were probably seven years old, kid,” Abigail smirked, amused at the boy’s cocky tone. “Well, hello? Boy genius here? I started flying at the age of fourteen. Far earlier than you, so I’d say I have a good shot at breaking your record. And I’m not intimidated, you’re talking to an ex-bot fighter, here. I will give you a good run for your money,” Hiro retorted playfully and confidently. 

Abigail shook her head with feigned disbelief, but she was happy to accept the challenge. She was having a good time, either way. “That makes two of us, ex- bot fighter. I accept your challenge. So, what happens to the loser?” she inquired, wondering what was at stake. “Hmm… Didn’t really think about it. How about you take over a day as Mr. Krei’s intern?” Hiro proposed, to Abigail’s amusement. “Trying to pawn off your very important duties on me, I see. Well, alright. Hmm…What will I wager you? If I win, then you have to hang out with Karmi more.” Hiro shuddered, afraid he might regret even bringing up the challenge. “Perhaps too intimidating stakes for you? Having second thoughts, ‘ex-bot fighter?’” Abigail playfully challenged the young boy.

“Not at all! Let’s do this! I hope you don’t mind doing menial tasks!” Hiro exclaimed, rising to her wager. “Baymax! Get ready! ODIN, can you start the countdown?” Baymax shifted his body, reading to propel himself along the augmented reality race course through the city. Abigail smiled, preparing herself to launch. ODIN acted as the race referee, “/Certainly, Hiro. May the best pilot win. Time trial beginning in 3…2…1…Go! /” At the same time, both Abigail and Baymax thrusted forward on their course leading towards the city sky risers. Immediately, they faced holographic debris that nearly impeded their advance, the two split up as they maneuvered around the digital obstacle. 

“Baymax! Full thrust!” Hiro commanded, lowering himself closer to the robot to create a more aerodynamic profile. Hiro had been working to optimize Baymax’s thrusters. Despite Abigail’s smaller profile that allowed her to pierce through aerodynamically, Baymax’s thrusters were decidedly stronger to account for his larger mass. Baymax and Hiro had taken the lead, but Abigail was not far behind. Pushing past the San Fransokyo bay, they both moved rapidly enough to create the distinct sonic boom from moving supersonic and overcoming the sound barrier. 

But as the augmented reality track began to course through the city buildings, it required more turns and maneuvering. This forced Hiro and Baymax to slow down just enough to maneuver around the buildings and the holographic debris. Although, Abigail was able to roll around the debris more smoothly, she was facing more obstacles in her path based on their randomized movements. Abigail realized that despite Hiro not being in direct control piloting Baymax, she noted that the two seemed to work in unison and flowed together. Whether Hiro verbally advised Baymax or not, the robot seemed to take his verbal and non-verbal cues to almost instantaneously understand Hiro’s intentions. They were a great team that flowed well together.

“Well, I’m not alone, either! ODIN, predict the trajectory of all the debris, determine most efficient route through the obstacles and highlight my course,” Abigail exclaimed as she continued to dodge and roll around the digital obstacles. “/Your recommended course has been highlighted, my lady /” the combat A.I. responded as holographic waypoints appeared and Abigail adjusted her flight path to narrowly dodge the debris and buildings. Hiro had really optimized Baymax’s thrusters, he was still very maneuverable but his maximum flight speed still outmatched Abigail’s.

The augmented reality course was now taking them at a higher altitude, placing them in the direction of the floating wind turbines that gathered wind energy for San Fransokyo. They were stylishly designed to appear like fish kites, but their high altitude allowed the turbines to harness stronger winds and generate electrical power for the city. Without having to say a word, Hiro looked towards Baymax and smiled in anticipation for this part. Baymax simply nodded and looked forward, accelerating with maximum thrust to narrowly avoid the wind turbines. With each pass, Hiro simply lowered himself into a lower silhouette to slip past the wind turbine overhead.

Having gone through the most efficient routes through ODIN’s tactical support, Abigail was directly behind the duo. She noted that despite their speed, they were losing momentum each time they had to narrowly avoid the wind turbines. “ODIN, I’m going to need your help with timing. At my current speed, determine appropriate trajectory through the wind turbines,” Abigail requested as she concentrated on her flight path moving directly towards the rotating fans of the wind turbines. “/At your current velocity, I have highlighted your recommended path, Miss Abigail. Please, do be careful/” Seeing the exact window of opportunity for each turbine, Abigail continued at full speed. “Still the gentleman, I see. Thanks, ODIN!” 

Tucking herself into the narrowest profile she could muster, Abigail narrowly slipped through the wind turbine and marginally avoided the spinning turbine windmill. With each consecutive pass, she was able to steadily catch up. Once Hiro and Baymax, along with Abigail, reached the last wind turbine before the course’s finish line, they were neck and neck. Time seemed to slow as they arrived at the wind turbine, but Hiro’s eyes widened when he realized that Abigail barely pushed past him and Baymax. It was only until now did he realize that Abigail was daringly slipping through small openings in the wind turbines for a direct path. “What?!” he exclaimed in his surprise, having only lost by a sliver.

“Looks like you’ll be spending more time with your ‘BFF,’ kid,” Abigail joked as they both pulled off of the course and slowed down to end their race. Hiro merely groaned, to Abigail’s amusement.

…

Sitting atop the “fish kite”-designed wind turbine, Hiro, Abigail and Baymax rested as they observed the sunsetting above the San Fransokyo bay. “You know… for someone who’s been flying for so long, we almost had you,” Hiro chuckled as he had gotten time to calm down about losing narrowly. “But I have to admit, that was some hotshot flying there going through these turbines. I wasn’t expecting that.” Abigail laughed, “Yeah, well that’s a trick I picked up later in my career. Sometimes you just have to commit, hesitation and doubt can be dangerous when things are at stake. And having ODIN’s help on top of how reactive your neurotransmitter is, I was completely confident to commit. But I will concede, you and Baymax are a great team and you nearly had me. Closest anyone has been to beating me.” 

“Well… I did design the ‘Lady Kabuki’ so… either way, I’ll take it as a victory! Having you test pilot it just showed what it could do with optimal piloting skills, so it was still a treat to see my design do so well. Even if it’s against me,” Hiro laughed, looking out to the orange-red skyline. They stayed there, watching the sun set as they were entranced by the sight. It was a view that was therapeutic and calming, Abigail reflected, “Thank you, Hiro. For all of this… You know, in all of the time I’ve flown and all of the locations I’ve flown in… I’ve never actually gotten to enjoy a flight through the city I grew up in. Let alone, hang out on top of a wind turbine and have an even better view of the sky I’m so fond of.”

Hiro looked towards her, seeing that she was still looking out towards the horizon as she continued, “Flying in the ‘Lady Kabuki,’ it really reminded me of why I wanted to fly in the first place. My mother… she was a well-accomplished pilot, testing next-generation prototype aircrafts that paved the way for what we currently have. She even went on to be an astronaut with the International Space Agency…until there was an accident that took her away.” Hiro looked to the young woman with concern, but Abigail looked to him and smiled to reassure him. “I’m so sorry to hear that, Abigail.” She shook her head, “It’s okay. It hurts, of course. Even now. But I always wanted to fly because… I wanted to feel what my mother felt, why she had always been drawn to the skies. She loved spending time with my father and I… but the skies seemed to call her and even with the risks, she answered their call. I… wanted to feel what drew her and every time I fly, I feel closer to her. To feel the freedom that she felt… and your design, the ‘Lady Kabuki,’ it makes me truly feel like it is I who is flying, and I’ve felt the closest to my mother in that moment that I was flying against you.”

Abigail smiled at the young boy, a light stream of tears flowing from her eyes, but they were tears of gratitude. Hiro smiled back, “Now that you mention it, flying with you and just enjoying being in the sky… it reminded me of my first flight with Baymax.” Hiro looked over to Baymax, who was sitting down and moving his feet back and forth to emulate Hiro’s. “It was in that moment that I truly felt… alive again. And it was because it helped me feel like I was with Tadashi again. It felt like I was catching air with him on his scooter, escaping from Good Luck Alley…”

Abigail chuckled, imagining the Hamada brothers escaping from trouble. Hiro smiled as he remembered that feeling, “Or the feeling of being on his back as he ran around and carried me when I was little… well littler. But I know what you mean. When I am flying, I feel like I am connected with Baymax and through him, I am connected more with Tadashi.” They both smiled at each other, understanding the mutual passion they shared with flying. As the sun was finally settling into the horizon, they took the time to reflect on their loved ones and how their time in the sky seemed to bring them that much closer to those they lost.


	18. A Prayer for the Prey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hiro is taken by the mutated Orso Knox, forcing Abigail, Karmi and the team to act.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: I updated the ending to this chapter or more so, added upon it. I hope you are enjoying this series. Thank you for reading!
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Big Hero 6 or Big Hero 6: The Series.

The Penitent Sparrow

Chapter 18: A Prayer for the Prey

Deep within the interior of Akuma Island, a hollowed-out cavern hosted the presence of several Krei Tech Industries' engineers and the thousands of miniature robots that were assisting them in constructing a hidden structure beneath the surface. The engineers coordinated their efforts together, partitioning specific parts of the project and utilizing the microbots that Hiro had lent out to them.

They were among the best in their field, it was to their amazement that they were able to make this much progress within a short amount of time. As they got used to utilizing the microbots with their neurotransmitters, they noted that it was like having a construction team that was able to instantaneously create what they designed or planned in near real-time.

"You guys sure work fast," Alistair Krei remarked towards one of the head engineers. He responded to the CEO, "We are certainly doing our best to keep up the pace, Mr. Krei. We've been making tremendous strides in constructing both the cover-up facility and even this sub-level lab. But creating a structure like this, covertly, does take time even with that boy's microbots helping. I can't give you a definitive time we can complete a fully-functional facility, but I assure you we are maintaining a fast pace."

"I appreciate your guys' hard work, as long as we remain under the radar, I am satisfied," Krei admitted as he continued to tour the sub-level structure. It was a risk to try to conduct such an operation right under the noses of watchful eyes. His personal assistant, Judy, walked up behind him, "Your guest is arriving soon, shall we greet her?"

Krei's eyes widened with anxiety, "The government inspector is almost here already!? We have to get topside now then!" An eyebrow on Judy's face lifted, "Umm. No? They aren't scheduled until later this evening to inspect our facility's construction up there. I meant Miss Callaghan?"

"Oh, right! That's right! Why didn't you say so earlier!?" Alistair chuckled nervously, as Judy shook her head. The two excused themselves from the head engineer and moved towards one of the halls of the nearly-completed portions of the secret structure. It led to an entrance that had a notable dark, blue hue due to its transparent, reinforced wall that overlooked the San Fransokyo bay ocean floor.

As they looked towards the entrance, they saw an approaching structure, the underwater gondola that they used previously to access the clandestine underground lab. It was yet another idea taken from Hiro's recommendations to ensure that the government would not see their transporting of materials and personnel to the structure they were building in secret.

As the underwater gondola approached, they were able to see Abigail standing casually with her hand along her hip. Alistair waved his hands enthusiastically to greet her as the gondola connected and several layers opened up to depressurize and de-flood the water between them. Multiple layers of walls and procedures to ensure that there would be no structural breaches that could flood the underground lab. As is it opened, Abigail stepped forward as several of Mr. Krei's personnel moved around her to continue their work, many with construction materials in tow.

"You've outdone yourself, Alistair. Or at least, your team certainly has. I feel like I am entering the secret lair of a supervillain," Abigail joked as she stepped forward to greet Alistair and Judy. "Well, this is all a team effort, so I guess we are all the villains here then. Especially, you and the boy. I'm just an accomplice to this all," Krei responded sarcastically. Abigail laughed as Judy and Alistair led her towards the hall leading to the main construction efforts for their lab, Abigail retorted, "I am afraid you are far more than an accomplice in all of this, partner."

They walked further into the lab-in-progress, Abigail was fascinated to finally see what was shaping up to be an impressive feat of architecture. They had previously worked on Akuma Island, and it was surreal to be at the very place that it all began. But, to be so deep within the island and to see what was going to house their project left her hopeful that this will be done. She saw the engineers hard at work, but what was truly fascinating was to see the very machines that Hiro invented… the very same ones that her father had exploited.

She watched as the thousands of miniature robots, who were very simple in design taking advantage of her father's magnetic-bearing servo-design. But working in conjunction through the vision of its user, they were able to construct the structures and infrastructure at a rapid pace.

"Extraordinary, isn't it?" Alistair asked, noticing Abigail's gaze as she observed the microbots at work. "Truly is... a project like this wouldn't be anywhere near where it is now if it weren't for that boy's invention," Abigail admitted. Pleased with their progress, she looked towards Krei and Judy. "Any updates on getting my father out of prison to work with us?" Krei seemed to take a moment to look at his personal assistant, then looked to his colleague.

"Unfortunately, that is taking quite some time to arrange the proper meetings and convince the right folks to be on board with that. As you can imagine, trying to release someone who caused a lot of damage to the city is rather… difficult to propose to folks... and if we don't get the right people convinced, we'll be facing a lot of opposition. I apologize, Abigail. I cannot say when we will be making a breakthrough, working through official channels makes this very difficult," Alistair admitted both honestly and apologetically. His tone almost hinted he'd preferred to do this through back door deals or had simply broken her father out. Abigail simply shook her head calmly, "No, I completely understand. Thank you, Alistair, Judy. I appreciate you arranging the meetings and wouldn't expect that to be a quick process." Krei and Judy nodded pleasantly to Abigail.

"Thank you for your understanding, Abigail. My understanding is that you and Hiro have been working on other parts of the project in the meantime?" Alistair pointed out. Abigail simply nodded as she continued to observe the progress of the site. The business executive continued, "Speaking of the boy, he hasn't seen the structure in person yet, either. Even though I know he's been keeping a hawk's eye view over my team's use of the microbots. Where is he now? I'm surprised he didn't go with you?"

Abigail simply chuckled, "That boy likes to keep busy with other agendas of his. He has other things to work on, obviously. And I rather him take time off of this when he can, he does work hard anyways. Last I heard, he went to visit his classmate Karmi at her Sycorax internship." Krei became visibly disturbed and disgusted, "Ugh, Sycorax… Liv Amara… Why would he go there to that woman's business, anyways? He's my intern!"

Abigail simply laughed, she was well aware of Alistair's jealous obsession with Liv Amara's success and the recognition she's garnered for herself and her company. She chuckled dismissingly as she shrugged, "Well, beats me. I didn't ask him why. I did tell him to spend more time with his classmate, but this isn't exactly what I had in mind. Something less work- or school-related, and more normal kid stuff but oh well." Krei merely groaned, thinking about Liv Amara and hoping that Hiro was not somehow attempting to become her intern as well.

…

Donning her lab goggles and particulate mask, Karmi continued to observe as she released her experimentation controls into the samples on her petri dish. She remained within the secured lab room within Sycorax's sub-level floor 9 to run trials to help the horribly mutated Orso Knox. As she looked through her microscopic lens, she simultaneously slowly released and turned off the heat of the flame from her Bunsen burner.

As she observed the samples of Orso Knox's cells react to her different trials, she grinned with excitement and anticipation. "Yes! This is promising, I can do this! I just need to get back to the bio-lab at school, the viral proteins I've been working on should do just the trick to rewrite his DNA and counteract the over-expression of his mutagenic gene sequences!"

Karmi looked around, wishing she could boast her findings to her rival. But the young boy was roaming around the rest of the sub-level with Baymax, attempting to bait the mutated Orso Knox to return back to his secured cell. Despite her protests, the young boy had hacked into Sycorax's systems to deactivate their safety protocols that attempted to quarantine Knox within the building.

Foolish kid, we can turn Mr. Knox back into a human. Why didn't he just listen to me? And I can't believe he convinced me to do this in the first place, Liv almost terminated my internship… But I know I can do this, we can help Knox turn back to being human again, she thought to herself, when she suddenly heard several loud sounds of banging and eventually a massive explosion as it sounded like something had broken through the lab's reinforced walls.

She immediately ducked behind the desk, worried that the mutated Knox would breach through her door at any moment and take her. Her breathing became wild, attempting to stifle it and calm herself lest she make too much noise and attract the beast's attention.

As she attempted to slow her breathing and quiet herself, she soon realized that it wasn't the sounds of a growling creature stalking towards her room but rather the squeaky steps of Hiro's robotic nurse companion. She peeked around her desk to look at the reinforced door's window slit, seeing the face of Baymax looking towards her. She noticed that it appeared that one of his eyes was shut and periodically twitching with electrical discharges, realizing that he was damaged.

"Baymax…?" she questioned softly, still trying to stay relatively quiet just in case Knox was around. "/ Karmi. /" Baymax simply stated, as he waited at the door front. Karmi quietly walked towards the door to release the lock. When she opened the door, her heart sank to see that Baymax was obviously damaged by the mutated Knox… and that her precocious young rival was not with him. "Baymax! Are you al- Wait! Where's Hiro?!" she exclaimed, finding it odd that she was expressing so much concern for the young boy.

"/Mr. Knox has taken Hiro away while we were attempting to apprehend him. I was unable to defend Hiro from being taken. /" Baymax explained, although in his robotic tone, Karmi noted that it almost sounded like he was apologetic and regretfully concerned.

"No...Hiro… why didn't you just listen to me for once! Why did you have to try and go out there!" Karmi looked down, she was frustrated with the boy, but she couldn't deny that she was concerned for him. She saw what Knox was capable of, he may be human on the inside but his extended time being mutated has made him less human and more beast-like. Hiro could be seriously hurt… or worst.

Karmi found it strange that she quickly thought about her conversation with Abigail. Abigail truly thought that Karmi and Hiro would eventually become close friends. Although Karmi couldn't imagine that, there was always the possibility that it could be that way eventually and she had to admit that she didn't really know Hiro all that well yet. But, with him in danger being taken by the mutated Knox, she may never get the chance to know him if things go wrong...

She still saw the solution as turning Knox back into being human, it's why Hiro had come to her in the first place. She quickly grabbed the lab equipment and samples she was working on and headed out the door. Baymax slowly waddled to follow her, Karmi sighed and ran back to snatch marshmallow hand of Baymax so that she could rush back to the elevator with him in tow. Karmi looked up to see a massive hole, realizing that this was the massive sound she heard of the structure being punctured.

Undoubtedly, this was where Knox had breached through and was already escaping from the Sycorax building. She had to admit, despite her protests to Hiro that the quarantine lockdown protocol should not have been deactivated, it was apparent that Knox was very well-capable of escaping with his sheer strength if he was not isolated in an energy-based cell. It was actually to Karmi's and Baymax's benefit that Hiro deactivated the security protocol, allowing them to access the elevator and bring them back to the main floor of the Sycorax building.

As she arrived at the first floor, she noticed that the thick shutter walls of the auto-lockdown sequence were receding back to reveal the daylight of the outside. She immediately took notice that Liv Amara was speaking to the Big Hero 6 team at the entrance, rushing towards them. As she approached them, she overheard Liv saying, "We've tried to cure him-"

Karmi rushed towards them, her equipment still in hand, "But I haven't, if I modify the viral proteins from my work at SFIT and run some tests-" Liv immediately placed her hand calmly on Karmi's shoulder, trying to assure her that this was no longer something to pursue.

Liv spoke softly to the young girl, "Karmi, we're out of time... Big Hero 6, please do whatever it takes to save the boy." Karmi looked down, the whole situation was dire and discouraging. She desperately knew that she could help change Mr. Knox back into being human. And under the circumstances, she wanted to know Hiro was okay. She may see him as an insufferable rival, but she did not want the young boy to get hurt.

The Big Hero 6 team looked to each other, the yellow-armored Speed Queen took charge, "We're going to need the Ultra-Armor." Karmi noticed that her beloved Captain Cutie was not with them, but she found that she was more concerned for helping Orso Knox... and particularly Hiro. But she had to keep faith that Captain Cutie and the Big Hero 6 team would save Hiro and capture Orso Knox alive to continue working on changing him back.

Liv Amara's assistant, Chris, stood besides the heroes, "Tough choices..." He sighed heavily as he shook his head, quickly turning to smile at them as he whipped out a plate of drinks seemingly out of nowhere to offer them. "Ice tea?" The burly green-armored hero, Chop Chop, got excited, "Don't mind if I do, Chri- person I've just met!"

Wasabi quickly grabbed a cup of ice tea and drank it, as the rest of the team stared at him oddly. He shrugged, "What? I just spent a long time trying to cut that titanium plating open. That's really tiring and works up a thirst!" Gogo sighed as she shook her head, grabbing Wasabi quickly as he screamed in surprise while leading the others out of the Sycorax building.

Karmi watched them as they prepared to leave. She knew that they would do their best to rescue Hiro and do what they need to do with Knox. But if they can capture him, they would need a means to transform him back. Despite Liv's warning that it was too late, Karmi realized that she needed to work on a serum by modifying her viral proteins back at SFIT's bio-lab. It was Knox's only chance. She left for SFIT to continue her experiments.

...

Abigail and Krei were looking at a design schematic that the engineers were overviewing for them. Suddenly, Abigail's phone was vibrating as she received a call. She noted it was a call from Gogo, answering it, "Hey Gogo, what's up?"

"Abigail, something's happened to Hiro. He got taken away by the mutated Orso Knox," Gogo explained over the phone. Abigail's posture immediately changed, her voice became tense and concerned, "Wait, what?! What happened?!"

"Hiro and Karmi were apparently sneaking around at Sycorax attempting to help change Orso Knox back to normal. But they had a containment breach and Knox escaped into the city with Hiro. We're getting our Ultra-Armor now to go after them," Gogo continued to explain, as Abigail took a deep breath trying to calm down and assess the situation.

"What happened to Karmi?" She was concerned, both her and Hiro were in danger and she cared for both of the young students. "She's ok. Hiro had her stay behind when he was taken and she got out with Baymax. Can you help us search for Hiro while we get our armor?" Gogo reassured Abigail, who was relieved that at least she did not have to worry about Karmi in this situation.

"Of course, I'll go airborne and look for him. I'll keep you posted if I get any other intel for you to work off of," Abigail stated as she looked towards Alistair, who immediately knew that something serious was happening. "Thanks. Likewise," Gogo stated shortly before she hung up to go with the team and retrieve their ultra-armor from the Skymaxes.

"What's going on, Abigail?" Alistair asked her, concerned at what was happening. "Hiro got abducted by the mutated Orso Knox-" Abigail explained when Alistair became very alarmed, as he was familiar with the beast. "You mean that thing that looks like a whale, a dinosaur and some hair got blended and put into a human-shaped ice tray and then thawed!? It has Hiro?!"

Abigail merely stared at the man with an incredulous look, wondrous of his description of the beast. "Yes... that thing. I need to get topside now, you have any access to the top facility from here?" Krei looked up, then immediately pulled out his phone, "Yes, we do. There's a hidden access elevator, hold on..." He began to press at his phone and waited a moment, "This is Krei. I'm at the sub-level. Is it clear to make it topside right now...? Ok, thanks."

He simply nodded and Judy motioned towards them, "Follow me, please." Abigail and Alistair followed Judy through the sub-level into a corridor and used a special access card to activate the elevator. Abigail was concerned but focused, she kept herself calm and rehearsed in her mind what she would need to do.

Krei looked to her as the elevator ascended towards the top facility, "What are you going to do, Abigail?" She looked to her phone, prepared to press a certain application on it, "I'm going to help the team rescue Hiro." As the door opened, they found themselves in a secured lobby, Judy ran up to the lobby entrance, looking towards a security camera screen to verify it was safe to open and used her secured access key again.

The entrance door opened and a secondary door opened right after, which had apparently been a false wall that covered this secret elevator. Immediately they were greeted by Krei Tech Industries personnel, Abigail asked them, "Please show me to the nearest exit leading to the outside of the island."

One of the staff immediately directed them, running ahead to show the exit route, "Right away, ma'am. This way, please." Alistair and Judy followed behind as Abigail ran with the staff member guiding them. As they exited, she thanked the staff member, "Thank you for the help."

She immediately looked back at Alistair, smiling apologetically, "Sorry, Alistair. This is an emergency. But, if you weren't rich, I would feel more bad..." Krei looked at her with a curious look, "Why do you say that?" Abigail pressed on the application on her phone, it was the insignia of a Kabuki mask.

Meanwhile, at the Krei Tech Industries main building, the "Lady Kabuki" Aerial Exosuit (AEXOS) System within Hiro's internship lab activated. It's armor components closing and locking up, the thruster systems activated as the exosuit lifted off. It immediately directed itself towards the wall and breached right through various concrete walls, flying outside of the building and heading towards Akuma Island.

Immediately, Krei's personal assistant's phone notified her and she looked at it. She laughed and showed it to Krei, a livestream video of the exoskeleton breaching and damaging his building. Alistair's mouth went wide open in disbelief and he immediately looked at Abigail.

Abigail lightly chuckled and shrugged, "Hey, it's an emergency. It's Hiro we're talking about. And plus... I said sorry, Alistair." Krei simply growled and then sighed, "That darn 'hairy-whale-dinosaur' keeps finding a way to damage my building somehow!" They all looked up as they saw the white silhouette of Abigail's exosuit flew directly towards them. It was the first time Alistair had seen it, he was awe-struck.

As it landed, Abigail immediately took off her blazer coat, purse and high heels. Leaving it with Judy, the personal assistant simply smiled that she could entrust her belongings with the personal assistant. She ran up to the suit, putting on the titanium nano-composite bodysuit and sealing it. She placed herself inside the helmet and the armored shell layer.

Immediately, the bodysuit reacted with its purple circuitry glowing as the black hexagon-textured layer tightened around her body frame. Krei and Judy watched as the armor platings moved to conform to her body and her visor on her helmet polarized to reveal her Kabuki visage. "ODIN, send me all relevant data on Orso Knox and any reports of his sighting," Abigail commanded as she conducted a final systems check.

"/Certainly, Miss Abigail. I am arranging all data regarding Mr. Knox/" the combat A.I. responded as Abigail's visor HUD populated with several images of the grey mutated beast. Her eyebrow furled, she had never seen anything like it before and it was almost hard to believe something like that could even exist. Her heart sank, thinking that something like that had Hiro. This very creature was the reason Hiro even developed their upgraded ultra-armor, it was undoubtedly dangerous.

Without any further words, she immediately propelled herself into the sky and accelerated towards San Fransokyo city. "/Miss Abigail, there has been several calls to the San Fransokyo PD that an unidentified creature matching Mr. Knox's description was spotted in the Noble Hill district. Reports indicate that the creature had burrowed into the old underground subway rail system, at the corner of Waseda- Dori Street and Washington Street. I am highlighting it now/"

"Thank you, ODIN. Get me in contact with Gogo, please," Abigail requested as she looked at several images showing the hole in the ground on the street between several vehicles. "/Yes, my lady. Giving her a ring now/" ODIN complied, the communications system functioning with slight static. She soon heard Gogo's voice, "Abigail, we just suited up. Baymax's scan picked up a large heat signature moving underground. It's most likely Knox. But Baymax's systems are damaged, so we can't pinpoint Hiro's exact whereabouts."

"Good copy, Gogo. ODIN and I are heading towards a hole in the street at Noble Hill where Knox most likely entered through. If I can have you guys patrol the underground coming in from the south, we can pincer him and make sure he doesn't escape with Hiro," Abigail devised as she looked at a map of both the underground and surface levels of the city.

"Sounds good, we'll see you underground then," Gogo responded quickly. Wasabi could be heard on the communications net, his voice characteristically hesitant, "I don't think I'm mentally prepared for that." Gogo tersely instructed him, "Get there." Freddy immediately chimed in, "'Heroes save Hiro' is a go! Hmm... does that sound confusing?"

Abigail chuckled as she responded to the team, "No, I like the title. Commence 'Operation: Heroes save Hiro.' I'll see you guys down there, best of luck!" The team responded immediately in a cacophony of responses:

Gogo: "Roger, see you down there."

Honey Lemon: "Thanks Abby, good luck on your end."

Fred: "She liked my operation's name!"

Wasabi: "Why couldn't the scary monster have taken Hiro to a detergent factory or something cleaner and less claustrophobic?"

Abigail simply chuckled, relieved that she could coordinate her efforts with the Big Hero 6 team. Hiro was counting on them, and truthfully, Abigail was terrified inside with concern for the boy. She made a personal promise to Tadashi that nothing bad would happen to his little brother. She cared for him and wanted to make sure Hiro was safe. She had become quite fond of the boy and saw him like he was her own little brother... she wouldn't know what she would do if something happened to him.

"ODIN, is there any other reports regarding Knox's activity?" Abigail asked as they were now nearing the street that they suspected was Knox's entry into the underground. "/No, my lady. Only that police are attempting to cordon the breach site/" ODIN responded, showing a camera feed from what she suspected was a civilian's cell phone posting about the scene.

As she neared the scene, she saw several policemen waving her down, "Whoa! Stop! This is a police crime scene, it's off limits!" Abigail merely hovered over the crushed manhole, looking at the police officers with her visor partially polarized. She fully polarized it to ensure her face was not identifiable, the officers were immediately concerned by her Kabuki mask visor. "The Kabuki mask...!?" They muttered as they moved away with caution.

Abigail merely spoke to them, her voice reverberating through her mask, "Sorry. I know you're just doing your job, but I don't care. I'm looking for the boy." She descended further into the manhole, looking down both directions of the abandoned railway. "ODIN, scan for signs of Knox's direction of travel..." she requested, her visor cycling between night vision and thermal imaging, immediately noticing that one direction had several claw marks and the debris had flown towards there. Clear indications the beast had moved in that direction.

"That way it is, then," she said to herself, activating her thruster systems at a moderate intensity to propel her quickly down the underground railway. She was cautious. Preparing herself to make contact with the mutated beast, she was completely caught off guard to see a small boy walking down the same path.

Flying right overhead, they were both caught by surprise as she flew past him and they looked at each other incredulously. Abigail immediately tucked and flipped forward, a sudden burst from her thrusters allowed her to decelerate quickly as she reversed her momentum. Hiro pulled his arms up over his face to cover himself from the sudden gust of light debris.

Abigail landed on her feet and started running towards the young boy, "Hiro! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" Hiro shook his head as he approached her, thinking that she was going to hug him, he raised his arms to meet her but was surprised when she lightly punched his arm. He was surprised and briefly speechless, Abigail moving closely to him as her visor opened up to reveal her concerned face.

"What were you and Karmi thinking, sneaking around Sycorax around that monster. You guys could've gotten seriously hurt, you knuckleheads!" Abigail asked the boy sternly, her face sternly wracked with concern. Hiro tried to respond, "But, somebody had to help-" Hiro was immediately surprised when Abigail pulled the young boy in for a hug, her face notably saddened.

"You had me worried, Hiro... All of us were... we thought…" she said tenderly to the boy. Hiro's voice became unsteady, "I'm... sorry, Abby. I didn't mean to worry you guys..." Abigail lightly pulled him away and continued looking down at him, "I'm just glad that you and Karmi are alright... You know, when I said you guys should spend time together... this isn't what I had in mind."

Hiro chuckled shyly as he rubbed his arm sheepishly. Abigail laughed, "Sorry about hitting your arm, kind of forgot I'm wearing your Nano-Dex. 'On a scale from one to ten, how would you rate your pain?'" Hiro laughed as she tried to imitate Baymax's voice. "Three… I'm just glad you practiced modulating the strength output!" He laughed, but quickly looked behind him as they suddenly heard the sounds of a fight further down the railway. The ground rattled and dust fell from above as they felt the shock of the battle raging a distance away.

"Oh no... They're making a mistake! He wasn't trying to hurt me, we have to help Mr. Knox!" Hiro turned immediately to Abigail, his eyes pleading. "Please, Abby..." Abigail looked to him, she saw that he was very serious. Without much thought or hesitation, she nodded and closed her Kabuki visor.

"Sorry, I'm no Baymax. This probably won't be a comfortable ride, kid," Abigail laughed as she ran towards Hiro and activated her thrusters. Hiro flinched, "Whoa, wait!" Abigail quickly grabbed the young boy, quickly propelling them along the railway as Hiro screamed in a manner that sounded like he was laughing.

"Well, Mr. Knox needs our help now, right?!" Abigail laughed as she held onto the boy in the air. "Yeah but...! I… really miss Baymax right about now!" Hiro yelled as he desperately hung onto Abigail. It was like flying with Skymax, it wasn't the most comforting ride without Baymax. "Hey! Rude! You're catching a free ride on the 'Kabuki Express!' Be a little more grateful!" Abigail yelled jokingly as they headed towards the flashing end of the distant skirmish.

As they neared the site, Hiro immediately noticed that there was a wall of debris between them. "Umm... Abby! There's a wall!" Hiro yelled, trying to alert her and hoping that she would slow down. She simply laughed, "Wall? I see an opening, silly!" Hiro looked to her frantically, "You better not!"

Abigail laughed, "Relax, kid! It's just like the wind turbine, remember? Have to commit to it! You might want to hug tightly, though!" Hiro was embarrassed but he knew that she was serious, he hugged her tightly so they could maintain a small profile and Abigail embraced him for his protection. Hiro yelled in excitement, both thrilled and scared. He was typically fine with something like this, however only if he was in control or on Baymax.

They pierced between the debris with only light debris brushing around them. They immediately found themselves on the other side of the debris to see the Big Hero 6 cornering the fallen mutated Orso Knox. "Stop! Everyone, just stop!" Hiro yelled to them as Abigail slowed to let him down next to them. They all were immensely relieved to see their young leader unharmed, Fred exclaiming, "You're ok! I thought that you were... not ok!"

Hiro walked between them towards the injured Knox, his hands up to calm both them and the beast. "Everyone, needs to calm down... It's alright... Everything is... alright," Hiro said softly, walking towards the beast that was still on the ground looking towards the boy. Baymax pointed out in warning with his eye still twitching, "/Hiro, your position is unadvisable/"

"Don't worry, Baymax. Knox wasn't trying to hurt me. He wasn't trying to hurt anyone," Hiro reassured them, looking towards the mutated beast with a soft smile. "But didn't he take you prisoner? Oh, was this not a horror movie? Was it a buddy movie, all along!?" Freddy chimed in enthusiastically.

Noticing the grey beast growl towards him, Fred hesitated, "'Horror-buddy'?" Hiro smiled as he looked towards Knox who was standing up slowly, "Just try not to make any sudden movements or loud noises." The beast huffed and stood up, moving back cautiously into the wall and dislodging debris. It caused some loose gravel to fall, making Wasabi sniffle uncontrollably, "Oh, no... So... much... dust! AHCHOO!" He sneezed with an exaggerated volume and motion, causing Knox to become startled and violently pound into the ground with its arms.

The surrounding area cracked and obscured the team's vision with fine debris. By the time Gogo and Abigail could react to the falling ceiling, it had already fallen towards Hiro. They yelled in concern, only to see that the mutated Knox had surprisingly intervened. Placing himself between the falling concrete slab and Hiro, he suspended it over the young boy and broke it in half to protect Hiro. Subsequently falling unconscious, as he saw the boy was unharmed.

"He saved you?!" Honey Lemon remarked in astonishment. Hiro stood up and recomposed himself, looking towards Mr. Knox. "Now, it's our turn to save him," he said as he looked towards his team. They all nodded in agreement. "/I will assist in taking him back to the Sycorax lab/" Baymax pointed out as he moved to grab the unconscious beast. "We'll make sure he gets there safely, Hiro. We're just glad you're okay," Honey Lemon hugged the boy warmly and reassured him as the others nodded, preparing to take Knox back to Sycorax.

Gogo signaled for Skymax, "You might want to change, genius boy. Skymax is bringing your 'ultra-armor' topside." Hiro smiled to his teammate, "Thanks, Gogo." Abigail looked to the boy and she showed her telltale scheming face with her visor up, Hiro immediately shuddered. "Well, can't get suited up down here and Baymax is taking Knox to Sycorax so... all aboard the 'Kabuki Express!'"

Hiro's eyes widened as he looked to the others and Baymax, pleading for help as he raised his arms towards Abigail. "Wait, Abby! Guys… please help! Whoa-!" Hiro yelled, seemingly laughing in excitement as Abigail grabbed the young boy and flew with him through the broken ceiling. They promptly flew to meet Skymax at a secure location for Hiro to don his armor. The team laughed as they prepared to move the unconscious Knox, Honey Lemon creating soft restraints from her chem-balls as a precaution. With the help of Baymax, they headed back towards Sycorax labs.

...

At the Sycorax lab building, Abigail, with Hiro in her arms, caught up with the team as they assisted Sycorax personnel in securing the unconscious Knox onto a table. They utilized a strengthened transdermal patch, a modified version of Karmi's design, to administer a highly-potent sedative on the mutated beast. The personnel wheeled the beast into the building, taking him into a secure lab room where the team noticed a preoccupied Karmi standing there.

She was concerned and concentrated, clutching a dual-syringe with a green serum. Hiro smiled, realizing that his rival had undoubtedly worked hard to develop a serum to reverse Knox's mutation. Abigail walked in behind with the rest of the Big Hero 6 team, quickly noticing Karmi among the Sycorax personnel.

She was relieved that she, too, was truly unharmed. Even more so, Abigail swelled with pride in the young girl. She wished that she was not in her 'Lady Kabuki' persona and was able to personally give her a congratulatory hug. This was undoubtedly her time to shine, to show her expertise and intellect in her field. Abigail had no doubt that, after hearing from Hiro that Karmi was able to make a breakthrough trial upon her first attempt, Karmi would be the one to bring Knox back to being human again.

The Sycorax staff were finalizing the preparations for the procedure, wheeling Knox away for them to begin shortly. Hiro watched them closely, walking just besides Karmi. The young girl quickly noticed her hero standing beside her, gasping as she was bursting with energy. She suddenly nestled towards the young hero. "Captain Cutie!" She squealed, startling the boy as he raised his arms to partially block her advance.

She danced and ran in place in her excitement, to Hiro's chagrin. He had to play into the charade, "Yup, that's me. 'Captain Cutie.'" The young hero squirmed as he said that name. Gogo and Abigail looked at each other and snickered, knowing they had more fuel to tease the boy later.

Karmi quickly placed her hand on Hiro's arm, reassuring him with her confidence, "I promise you, we'll cure Mr. Knox." Hiro smiled towards his rival and placed his hand on hers with faith in her abilities, "Karmi, I know you will." He promptly turned around to walk towards his team so they could proceed. He had to admit, he would have to recognize that this was Karmi's field of expertise and it was certainly why he had chosen to ask for her help to save Orso Knox. In just one single trial, she was able to make a breakthrough in changing him back, he knew that she would succeed. He conceded that he would have to congratulate her in the near future when this was all said and done.

"Wait! What about Hiro...? Was he... hurt?" Karmi asked, she was notably concerned for the boy. Abigail immediately grinned, she muttered softly to herself with satisfaction, "That 'a girl, Karmi." Hiro was immediately caught off guard, he gasped in his normal voice and tried to catch himself. Grunting in his exaggerated 'Captain Cutie' voice, "Umm..."

Gogo immediately skated forward to place her hand on Hiro's shoulder, "Your friend, Hiro, is fine." Karmi got embarrassed and corrected them, "He's not my friend...! I barely know him, really..." She smiled as she talked about her rival, unbeknownst he was actually standing before her.

Hiro shyly attempted to play off the situation, adopting his "gruffer" voice, "Right! Let's go..." He shuffled to the side as his team watched him try to escape the scene and avoid showing his embarrassment. As he shuffled out towards the lab room's exit, he saw Abigail looking towards him with her hand on her hip amusedly.

He muttered to her with narrowed eyes, "Don't give me that look." Abigail was stifling her laughter, pointing at her face that was being hidden by the polarized Kabuki mask design. She whispered mockingly, "What look are you talking about?" Hiro groaned, "Well… Just… Not a word about this."

Gogo skated next to him and Abigail, snidely remarking, "Don't worry, boy genius. We won't talk about it for now." She looked to Abigail, who was on the same page. Abigail chuckled, "Yeah, for now." Hiro simply groaned, to the two women's amusement. "Unbelievable..."

...

Back at SFIT's "Periodic Table Cafe," Karmi stood in line as she poured ketchup onto her cheeseburger. She immediately noticed another tray slide next to her, quickly realizing it was her rival, Hiro, standing beside her. "So, Karmi, did your serum work?" the young boy asked her, smiling towards her. Karmi smirked and then composed herself humbly, "Yes, but it's not my serum. At Sycorax, we don't like words like 'my' or 'me,' the breakthrough was a team effort..."

She reached down to grab a cup of soda, casually placing a straw into the container. She looked away, continuing to smirk with pride, "... Based almost completely on my work." She took a sip out of her straw, beaming with pride that she was the one to change Mr. Knox back to normal despite all of the efforts of Sycorax's established Knox team of geneticists. "Well, I guess Mr. Knox really owes one to the 'Sycorax team,'" Hiro commented, conceding that Karmi had indeed pulled off an impressive feat and that she was the right person to go to when he knew something was up with Knox's progress. He smiled at his rival, knowing full well that she was proud of her own work despite Sycorax's team-oriented culture. And he thought that it was well deserved.

Karmi smiled back, it was a pleasant change of things to be congratulated by her rival. She thought about Abigail, admitting that perhaps she could be right in the future about the two rivals becoming on more friendly terms. Admittedly, Karmi was also relieved to see that the young boy was unharmed from the incident. "You know, Hiro... And don't get the wrong idea! But... I'm glad that you weren't hurt," Karmi said, a bit awkwardly but continued to smile at him. Hiro was caught off guard, "Oh, right! Thanks... well, Mr. Knox wasn't really trying to hurt us. He was... just a big eater... Not trying to eat us or me, of course! Just the food we had around us!"

Karmi chuckled awkwardly, then her face turned serious for a moment as she lightly punched the boy's arm, "Next time, don't go shutting down containment protocols and baiting monsters!" Hiro laughed as he stumbled to keep his food tray steady, "Hey, watch the drink!" Karmi laughed, looking towards him, "Well, still... you're definitely no 'Captain Cutie...' but it was still brave of you to try to lock him back up so we could be safe. And... overriding the containment protocols did help me and Baymax get out, so thanks."

"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence, I guess," Hiro chuckled, shyly finding it awkward about her Captain Cutie comment and the irony behind it. They both laughed as they moved to sit at a lunch table together, it was an oddly friendly situation they found themselves in but simply rolled with it for the time being. Hiro quickly scanned around, making sure that Abigail or Gogo were not around to poke fun at him. Seeing that the coast was clear, he sighed in relief and the two continued their conversation around class assignments from Professor Granville. It has been an odd few days between the two rivals.


	19. Deadline to Disintegration (Part One)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Big Hero 6 team and Abigail must contend with Momokase's plot against the city

The Penitent Sparrow

Chapter 19: Deadline to Disintegration (Part One)

It was not a quiet day for our heroine, Karmi, during her extremely important internship. There was a catastrophe at the bio-labs of Sycorax! The horribly mutated Orso Knox had escaped from his confines in the secure genetics lab, taking with him Karmi's very small and puny classmate, Hiro. But inside that monster, was a person waiting to be changed back, and it was up to none-other-than Karmi to set him free. As she escaped from the bio-labs, she immediately met with her heroic teammates from the Big Hero 7 team.

"Karmi! We need your help to change Mr. Knox back to normal and only you can do it! We'll capture him but it will be all up to you to fix him!" Speed Queen dashed up to Karmi, requesting her help. "Don't worry, I am on it, guys! I'm heading back to my incredibly important lab to use my viral proteins, I'll have a serum ready when you have Mr. Knox." All of the Big Hero 6 team members' eyes sparkled as they were grateful for Karmi's help. Noticing that her beloved Captain Cutie was not among them, she figured that their fearless leader was probably already bravely looking for the beast with Red Panda.

She quickly gave a call to her beloved hero, who quickly responded to his beautiful girlfriend, "Karmi! Don't worry, I will save your little classmate, Hiro. We'll rescue him from the giant beast." Karmi's eyes sparkled with admiration at his heroic bravery and courage to face the monster. She saw her hero as a shining knight going to face the dragon. But she couldn't help but be worried for his safety, "Captain Cutie! Please be careful. Your team isn't with you yet and Mr. Knox is very dangerous."

Captain Cutie simply smiled confidently, there was no hint of fear or worry. "Thank you for worrying about me, Karmi. But I will be fine! And I have a special friend who will help my team track down Knox." On the video chat screen, Karmi saw her beloved young hero press a button on his super-suit. Soon after, Karmi saw that another hero flew in and arrived behind Captain Cutie, a white-armored heroine named "Lady Kabuki"-

…

Abigail quickly interrupted Freddy while he was reading Karmi's latest fan-fiction chapter, "Wait, wait, wait… Did Karmi give me a super hero name and it was the very same name Hiro gave my exosuit?!" Abigail quickly looked towards Hiro, who had sharply smacked his forehead. It wasn't bad enough that they were reading the embarrassing fanfiction out loud, but now it was apparent Hiro and Karmi had shared the same naming idea coincidentally. Gogo paused her work, lifting up her blast shield mask to look at Hiro, "Looks like great minds think alike. You should get into fanfiction writing too, Captain Cutie."

"That's… just a fluke! She was giving names to everyone, she was bound to have a good one for at least one of us! And, no! Fanfiction writing is just the worst! Especially hers," Hiro exclaimed as he pouted, having already been flustered with them reading Karmi's fanfiction chapter about him being captured. "/ Writing stories can be a healthy form of self-expression/" Baymax pointed out, as the others all nodded in agreement. Hiro's eyes simply narrowed, unamused at the group.

Suddenly, Hiro's phone rang, an image of Mr. Krei on his screen vibrated. Thinking this was another internship task, Hiro sighed heavily as he answered the call, "Yes, what now, Mr. Krei?" Hearing him on the phone, Krei chuckled nervously, "Hey, funny thing… I could really use Big Hero 6's help right now. Can you swing by my office? Like… now?!" Hiro's eyes widened with curiosity, realizing that this was a different matter altogether, "Oh… yeah. We'll be there in a moment." He hung up, looking at everyone. "Hey guys, Mr. Krei needs our help with something. Let's get suited up and meet at his office." Everyone looked at each other, curious of what was going on but nodded as they all contacted the Skymaxes to bring their suits to them, including Abigail's AEXOS system through ODIN's help.

Once they arrived at the top floor of Krei Tech Industries' main building, they met with an anxious Alistair Krei who was awaiting them. "What's going on, Alistair? You look like you did something suspicious," Abigail said half-jokingly, wondering why he had suddenly called on Big Hero 6 to help him. "Well… not me. But this is something that could be… well, very serious…" Krei said nervously as he switched on his holographic screen behind him on his window. The screen was populated by the intricate schematics for a medium-sized device, making Fred gasp audibly to everyone's surprise, "Oh, no! It's that thing…!"

Everyone looked to the Kaiju-suit wearing hero, his helmet popping off as they saw his worried expression. He looked around at everyone, "Just kidding, I have no idea what I am looking at. What are we looking at, Mr. Krei-Krei?" Normally, Mr. Krei would be unamused at Fred's antics, but he simply sighed, looking to the super-hero team, "It's an enhanced disintegration device… You guys are very familiar with it since you escaped from one that was used on Akuma Island to destroy my old lab there…" This time everyone had genuinely gasped, including Fred.

"Let me guess, you somehow misplaced one?" Gogo chimed in with a hint of annoyance but lacking in surprise. Krei immediately responded defensively, "What? No! More like… it got stolen from me from one of my most highly protected and secretive locations somehow…" Alistair pulled up some images and video recordings from the secure location, the area that housed the device had several holes that were cut with surgical precision. Fred gasped, "Noodle Burger B-" but was interrupted as everyone else simultaneously conceded, "Momokase." Freddy chuckled, "Yes, exactly who I was thinking about, too. Great job, guys. Completely on the same page here."

"Do you happen to have a tracking system on this device, Mr. Krei?" Wasabi asked the executive, hoping that his company had arranged an organized means of keeping accountability for such an important device. Alistair frowned, "Yes, I do have a tracking system built within the device. Well, at least I did…" He pulled up another image, showing a metallic component that had been surgically removed from the disintegration device. "It's become quite clear that the thief had solid intelligence, not only on the whereabouts of my device but… also where the tracking mechanism was being housed within it." Wasabi sighed heavily with concern, "And… of course."

"She's made her next move and we still don't have a means to track her down with all of her buddy guards carrying graphene blades on them…" Hiro thought aloud, his hands resting near his face as he pondered on how they could deal with this situation. They couldn't track her movements still, and worst yet, she now had a device that could cause serious damage within populated areas of the city. Abigail turned towards the armored healthcare companion, "Baymax, can you share with ODIN a direct telemetry of your current scans for graphene heat signatures, please?"

"/Certainly, Abigail. One moment, please /" Baymax pointed out, taking the moment to use his enhanced scanner to look around the city. Once again, it was notably taking a while for him to complete this scan, as there were a multitude of signatures populating throughout the process and the grid on his visor was constantly updating. "/Graphene heat signature scan complete. Sending live telemetry to ODIN, now/" Baymax complied, looking towards Abigail. She smiled towards the robot, her visor began to populate with the live stream of data overlay, looking around the city as she saw the 253 graphene signatures strewn throughout the city.

"ODIN, can you analyze for any movement patterns that could indicate Momokase's location? Create an active filter, determine which signatures are less mobile and which are moving in a manner that is inconsistent with Momokase's previous movement patterns," Abigail requested as she raised her palm, revealing a holographic overlay displaying an active map of San Fransokyo with the signatures moving randomly about. Everyone gathered around her, looking at the digital representation of the situation.

"ODIN, cycle through visual filters. Which signatures are less mobile, which signatures are at known locations that match Momokase's previous activity and her psychological profile…" Abigail commanded, her eyes hyper-focused on the intelligence they were gathering from Baymax's and ODIN's scans. ODIN chimed in as he processed the information, "/ There are no discernible patterns to determine the exact location of Momokase based on current parameters, my lady. With current data, I can confidently eliminate only 30% of the 253 graphene signatures as being the most improbable targets. /" As they all looked at the dynamically moving display with the updated signatures that remained, Abigail grunted with frustration.

"That still leaves 177 graphene signatures that could be Momokase…" Honey Lemon remarked, trying to figure out a way to further improve their chances of pinpointing her. Hiro shook his head as he wiped his hand through his messy hair, "How is it that she's had access to all of this information and tech? She's obviously hacked through Krei Tech's systems somehow. She's several steps ahead of us. She wouldn't be capable of this on her own… Unless…" Suddenly, Mr. Krei's holographic screen along his office's windows flashed green, the image that appeared made Hiro's heart skip. The visage of a one-eyed demon with its tongue ominously slithering down had suddenly appeared, it was an image that Hiro did not want to ever see again, "Obake… it couldn't be."

Suddenly, the screen transitioned to show the very person they were searching for. Wearing her usual black-and-blue stealth suit and her blue eye mask, Momokase smiled confidently, "No. Thanks to you, boy. That man is no more. But I assure you, I'm putting all of his intel and toys to good use in his stead… By now, you are well aware of what I have in my possession, no?" Hiro squeezed his fists intensely, "Why are you doing this?" Momokase simply laughed, "Isn't it obvious? I want another chance to fight you all again, and this time I won't lose. I admit you have all been quite the bothersome bunch, but I needed a good way to challenge you all with a fun little game. A game called, 'Find the disintegration device in your beloved city in time before a chunk of it disappears.' It may not be anything like yours and Obake's star, but seeing at least a part of the city go up in a flash seems rather appropriate, don't you think?" Hiro gritted his teeth in anger. Fred quickly chimed in, "Hmm… I would've come up with a better name for the game than that. I mean, c'mon. Dig deeper. How about 'Deactivate or Disintegrate…' or… Oh, no! How about the 'Deadline to Disintegration' game!"

Gogo quickly elbowed Freddy's arm who yelped quickly, shaking her head at him, "Fred! Not now!" On the screen, Momokase simply laughed connivingly, "Well, you are right. Not now. You actually have until midnight tonight to find and deactivate Mr. Krei's disintegration device, somewhere here in the city. I look forward to a challenging fight, don't disappoint me, Big Hero 6." Shortly after, the screen shuttered and distorted, returning back to the previous screens showcasing the schematics of the disintegration device. "This isn't good…" Honey Lemon said, her hands grasping on her hair to make two pig-tails.

"Okay… that was creepy. How was she able to contact us? We have to assume that she is able to listen in on us right now…" Wasabi shuddered, looking around as if there could be a hidden camera that she was using to spy on them. Immediately, Hiro moved towards Krei's computer at his desk and pulled out a tablet to link into it. Krei objected momentarily, "Hey, what are you doing?!" Hiro looked towards the business tycoon with an eyebrow raised, "Really? You're worried about me hacking into your computer? I've already dipped into your database before, remember? It's obvious that Momokase is using Obake's tech, he must have hacked into your systems before…"

"Fine… just… don't go doing anything weird while you're in there…" Krei sighed as he let the young tech genius peruse through his personal computer. Hiro continued to look through the data, his eyes shifting around as he scanned through all of the encrypted information for hidden details or subtle evidence of a security breach. His eyes immediately widened as he came to the realization of when Mr. Krei's computer was accessed, "The black-market data chip… you didn't do a security analysis of it, did you?" Mr. Krei's mouth went open, realizing his mistake when he didn't call on his tech security team to look through the chip due to his ironic paranoia of a security breach. "Well, I was kidnapped… it does things to you…" Krei admitted, realizing that he was deceived. "Obake… he probably hired the Mad Jacks to make you paranoid and then counted on us to retrieve the chip for you. The black-market data chip was a trojan horse, it provided him with back-door access to your systems… and you let him right in. That's how Momokase learned about the disintegration device and all of your buddy guard shipments," Hiro explained, hating to admit that they had all played into Obake's hands. And due to his scheme, Momokase was benefitting from that madman's information.

"Can you do anything about it, now?" Krei pleaded, feeling completely violated by the massive invasion into his database and privacy. Hiro interlocked his fingers and extended his arms forward, cracking his knuckles. "Obake was… really good, it will take me a bit of time for me to clean out his program, but I can do it…" Hiro said as he began to work through his tablet, attempting to deny Momokase's ability to access the Krei Tech database and listen in on them. Concentrating on the task, Hiro focused as he input various commands and perused through the coding. His face was especially serious, "C'mon… c'mon…There! And that should do it… Momokase won't have any more access to your system. She can't listen in on us anymore."

"Good. Because we need to get to work right now, even if we need to locate and destroy each of the graphene signatures to locate Momokase and that device," Gogo prepared to leave but was promptly stopped by Abigail. Looking towards her colleague, Abigail put a hand on her shoulder, "I agree we need to get to work, but we don't have the time to attack each signature even if we all split up right now…" Gogo growled lightly in frustration but calmed down as she looked to Abigail and nodded solemnly. "Now that Momokase can no longer listen in on us… We're going to need to put our heads together and come up with a plan," Wasabi chimed in. The situation was dire, but he knew that diving into it without a plan of attack could result in disaster or complete failure. The stakes were too high to risk that.

"The problem is that there are too many buddy guards masking her movements, if only there was a way to take care of the buddy guards but there are way too many of them…" Honey Lemon remarked, when Fred suddenly jumped up in excitement. "Yes! I know how we can take care of them all at once! In Issue 274 of 'Dr. Slaughter, MD,' millionaire weapons designer Malcolm Chastletick developed a super, diabolic weapon that was able to destroy all of the equipment on board a massive army of drones that were being sent in to apprehend him!" Wasabi looked at the eccentric young man, "That sounds all well and good, Fred. But what do we have in the real world that can do something like that?"

Hiro laughed with a moment of sudden serendipity, "Oh, that's it! That's brilliant, Fred! That's an angle we should look in to… Something that could knock out the buddy guards' systems and Momokase's scan jammer tech in a wide radius… kind of like Bessy! We could develop some micro-EMP devices and deactivate the drones and be able to scan for Momokase! Perhaps, even momentarily deactivate the disintegration device and buy us more time to locate it and dispose of it properly." Abigail was impressed but sighed with concern, "The premise behind the plan is solid, Hiro. But… won't our tech be knocked out, too? How can Baymax or ODIN scan for Momokase if our systems are down as well?"

Hiro nodded, looking towards Gogo, "We'll need to take this time to upgrade our armor's electronic components. It's possible to develop some shielding against electromagnetic radiation from an EMP (electromagnetic pulse) burst." Gogo immediately understood where Hiro was going with this, smiling as she continued his thought, "Of course! Faraday-type shielding! I can modify our armor to emit electrical charges that can distribute and cancel out the external electromagnetic field from our controlled EMP bursts." When it came to matters regarding electromagnetism, Hiro and Gogo were experts in that field. They could make the necessary upgrades to reinforce their system's shielding against EMP radiation. Admittedly, Hiro had to wonder if these upgrades could even help mitigate the effects of the Bessy meteorite, but truthfully, the mechanisms that Bessy operated on were still a mystery.

Wasabi looked towards the boy genius with concern, "But, Hiro… wouldn't we cause some damage or chaos among the populace if we use EMP devices throughout the city?" Abigail placed her hand calmingly on Wasabi's shoulder, "It has its risks, but if we don't address the drones or the disintegration device itself… Momokase could do some real damage and put a lot of people in danger…" Wasabi understood their reasoning, sighing but nodding in agreement. That device could instantly vaporize property, and everyone within its vicinity along with it.

Hiro looked to his cautious teammate, "Actually, Wasabi... That's why I want you to work on the micro-EMP devices with me, we'll need to be very precise in the device's exact output so it doesn't permanently cause damage to the city's electronic infrastructure and will have a controlled range so we can properly predict its effects. That should help to mitigate the collateral damage caused by activating EMP bursts within the city. How do you feel about that?" Under the circumstances, Wasabi nodded to his young leader, relieved that they had a plan to lessen the potential damage they could be causing. "Need precision and exactness? You're asking the right person for the job, little man. Of course, I'm in." Hiro smiled, glad that they were getting a viable plan together.

The boy genius tried to look at the situation at various angles, a lot was at stake. He began thinking about the device itself. How would they be able to deal with it? At least, initially? Perhaps the only member of the team who had the capability of hacking the device's systems to deactivate it was himself or even ODIN. But what if the team needed to bide more time and one of the others had found the disintegration device? They needed some kind of countermeasure that would be available among all of them, should they encounter the device. His eyes brightened as he looked to the right person for this situation.

"Honey Lemon! Would you be able to at least temporarily interrupt or delay the mechanical and electronic components of the disintegration device?" Hiro inquired of the chemistry genius. She thought about it for a moment, then grinned, "Yes! I could. If we can get our hands on the device, I can chemically delay the device by supplying it with freezing agents to halt its systems for a time. A combination of CO2 and liquid nitrogen should do just the trick!" Honey Lemon quickly clapped her hands in excitement, knowing exactly what ratio and amount of chemicals would be required for this countermeasure. Hiro smiled at her, "Great! All of us will need to be able to use it, so I will work with you to create a time-released device that we can all carry on us. We're not as good at handling chem-balls as you, after all." Honey Lemon laughed, "That's a great plan, Hiro!"

Seeing that the young boy was taking charge and accounting for everything, Abigail stepped forward, "What can I do, boy genius?" Hiro turned around to look towards the white-armored Kabuki-masked woman, "Abby, I'll need you to continue coordinating between Baymax and ODIN's surveillance analysis. We will only have a limited amount of micro-EMP devices and areas we can activate them, we need to determine the most likely areas that Momokase will have the disintegration device hidden at and focus our efforts at those locations. And also, I want you to be in charge of directing Fred and Mini-Max to key locations…"

Hiro then turned towards the Kaiju-suit clad hero, "Fred, you're going to run reconnaissance with Mini-Max at the most likely areas that the device or Momokase might be at. But you won't be engaging the buddy guards or even Momokase, it will be a stealth mission for you. Your main objective is to hopefully locate the device sooner and alert us." Fred was visibly excited, "Yes! An exciting mission for secret agent 'Fredzilla!'" Then, he paused to think about how he would go about the clandestine scouting mission, "Not to doubt your awesome planning, Hiro. But, how am I going to sneak around in my Kaiju suit?" Hiro laughed, putting his finger on his cheek, "Well, guess this is a good time as ever to introduce you to a prototype suit that I've been working on for you… Mind you, it's not fully tested, but it does have an optical camouflage system that will be perfect for your sneaking mission. Mini-Max will need to be inside your suit, but he should be able to help you scan for the device, with any luck. Just don't be too daring with it, I have yet to perfect it!" Fred was giddy, prepared to see what he would be using for this operation, "A new super suit and a sneaking mission! Freddy so happy!"

Looking towards Mr. Krei, who was standing anxiously as he watched the team delegate their roles and planned, Hiro requested, "Mr. Krei, I'm going to need you to send all of your information on the disintegration device to Abigail and I. We'll need to know everything about its design, its effective blast radius and all of its features including safeguards and countermeasures that were in place." The business executive sighed and nodded, "Alright, Hiro. I'll send all of our data regarding the device. Or at least Junie will… Assistant! I need your help!"

The young leader of the Big Hero 6 team nodded, looking at them with confidence in their planning, "We have less than fourteen hours before midnight… Ok, team. The city needs us, once again. Let's put our big brains to work. It's hero time!" His fist rose up enthusiastically, everyone agreed with the utmost motivation and were ready to get to work on their respective roles in the plan. Freddy chimed in, "Wait, do you mean 'Hiro time' or do you mean… Oh, wait. Ok, I see what you did there… Yeah, it's hero time!" Hiro's eyes narrowed, losing his initial enthusiasm, "Yeah, well… Let's just get to the lab…"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Well! I guess you can consider this as the first of a two-part "mid-season finale" of sorts! I am still planning out how I want this series to integrate with the main series without becoming too tied in with the "City of Monsters" arc. The Baymax rescue mission and Liv Amara storyline are two rather large plot points that would be too big to mix together and detract from each other. Or at least I that's how I feel about it. So, in the meantime, this story should act like an epic "mid-season finale!" Stay tuned for part two!


	20. Deadline to Disintegration (Part Two)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang prepares for their showdown with Momokase

Big Hero 6: The Penitent Sparrow

Chapter 20: Deadline to Disintegration (Part Two)

In an abandoned industrial warehouse, a distorted, invisible apparition stalked along the ceiling wall. Fred, using the new prototype chameleon-based suit, crawled with his claws and curled tail to remain inverted along the ceiling. With the suit's eyes moving independently of each other, Fred searched the building for any suspicious activity that could indicate Momokase or the disintegration device. He keyed into the communications net, "Umm… I don't mean to alarm anyone but… it's getting pretty alarming that I am coming up empty. This is the 'thirty-somethingth' abandoned, 'supervillain-y' looking warehouse I have checked out and I am yet to find Momokase or our scary 'vaporizing death machine…'"

Within the suit, Mini-Max lay on Fred's shoulder, "/ But, at least you have gotten a lot of practice at sneaking into enemy lairs undetected! /" Fred put his hands on his hips triumphantly, remaining attached to a pipe on the ceiling, "You're right, Mini- Max! At least my secret agent spying skills are leveling up!"

Back at the Krei Tech Industries main lab, Abigail was tracking Fred and Mini-Max's movements throughout the city as they conducted their search and reconnaissance mission. "You're doing good, Freddy. It still helps to rule out areas and cross them off of our area of operation. The narrower we can get it, the better. I'll continue monitoring your situation from here, if you come up on any trouble, Baymax, ODIN and I will be able to bail you out. Your suit isn't optimized for combat encounters, so be careful. ODIN has highlighted other spots we want to check out, keep me updated if anything happens," Abigail responded to Fred through the team communications net.

"Roger! By the way, I wonder who 'Roger' is, anyways? Does he know that everyone on the radio keeps using his name? But, yeah! Roger that, Abby! Fredalicious, out!" Fred concluded his radio transmission as he continued his sneaking mission throughout the city to investigate graphene signatures. At this point, Abigail was utilizing a larger holographic table that provided a three-dimensional overlay of San Fransokyo city, providing a real-time situational map that tracked Fred's movements and updated areas that were already reconnoitered. "ODIN, update the map to reflect all areas that Fred has already checked, track the graphene signatures from there and discount them from the running total. We can assume they're not our targets and can slim our numbers down," Abigail noted as she continued to scan through the map. "/ Indeed, my lady. Updating the area of operations /" ODIN responded as he worked to filter the data to more accurately portray the situation.

Abigail looked off towards the rest of the lab room, looking at each of the Big Hero 6 team members working fervently on their parts of the operation. Quite some time has elapsed since they first began their work and first learned about Momokase's plot, they only had five more hours before midnight. But the preparations and equipment they needed to build, under such short notice and within a small timeframe, was proving to be a technical hurdle they had to contend with. Abigail looked towards the young boy genius, his mind was moving at a million miles per hour and his creative flow peaking at an overdrive mode. Every hour that passed dawned on them, they had to make this work. Hiro had been overextending himself, moving between each of the members to assist and oversee each of their projects.

With Gogo in charge of upgrading each of their ultra-armor suits, including Abigail's Lady Kabuki exosuit, she was able to reconfigure their electronic components to have improved electromagnetic shielding capabilities. At first, she and Hiro would design specific schematics for each suit's unique electronics design, allowing for Gogo to mechanically construct a Faraday shielding for each suit. The upgrade utilizes a continuous covering of conductive material and also a modified reactive system that can actively counteract an external electromagnetic field through precise electrical charge emissions. This would effectively help to cancel out the effects of a low-intensity EMP burst.

This was also possible to account for because Gogo would be able to design the Faraday shielding system within the suits based on the parameters that Wasabi calibrated in the mini-EMP devices that he and Hiro were developing. While Hiro had helped to develop a base design for the EMP device, including its shell casing and electronics, Wasabi was able to fine-tune its functionality and effective range. Much in the same way that Wasabi utilizes magnetic confinement to provide enhanced precision for his laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy that produces his plasma blades, Wasabi was able to utilize this knowledge to control the EMP device's intended effects. He was well-aware that using this technology can further disrupt the situation and possibly endanger lives as power goes out. He did not want to permanently damage systems and risk hurting people as grids go down momentarily. The intention of using these devices was so they could disrupt the drones and Momokase's scan jammer long enough to identify her whereabouts, as well as disrupt the disintegration device temporarily.

Lastly, Hiro had to rotate throughout the lab room and assist Honey Lemon in devising a portable delivery system that would allow the rest of the team to have the same chemically-disabling capability as Honey Lemon, should they come upon the disintegration device. Modifying chem-balls from Honey Lemon, each composed of a specific ratio of CO2 and liquid nitrogen, Hiro was able to create a time-released device that could cause the freezing agents of the chem-ball to react upon activation. It had a magnetic component to allow for the device to latch onto the disintegration device, effectively targeting the device and releasing the chemicals to freeze it whole. Theoretically, this would be able to help freeze up the device's systems and bide time for them to dispose of it. Of which, Hiro and ODIN had studied Mr. Krei's blueprint schematics to have an understanding on how they could hack the system and deactivate it.

Seeing that his team members were finalizing their portions of the plan, Hiro sighed heavily with both exhaustion and momentary relief at their progress. He looked towards his healthcare companion, whose footsteps were audibly squeaking towards the young boy. He looked up to see that the robot had a plate with an almond-butter jelly sandwich, "/ Hiro, it is important that you remain nourished while working hard./ " Hiro smiled, grabbing the sandwich to take a bite, "Nice! Thanks, buddy." Abigail spoke towards the boy across the room, "Hiro, if you've got a moment, I wanted to discuss the situation and our new potential target areas…"

The boy genius nodded as he moved towards Abigail and the holographic table display of the city, continuing to munch away at his almond-butter jelly sandwich. "What do you have so far, Abby?" Abigail waved her hand and extended her fingers out to rotate the holographic map and zoom into the image to showcase various buildings, "So far, I had Fred recon areas of the city that would present the most densely-populated and active soft targets for Momokase to hit. But none of these areas turned up with anything except for buddy guards roaming around as diversions. These were all areas within downtown San Fransokyo, which would have been optimal targets for her to threaten… so I found it strange…"

Abigail continued to manipulate the three-dimensional overlay to demonstrate the areas that she and ODIN had ruled out thanks to Fred's actions on the ground. She continued to think aloud, "So it had me thinking… When I reviewed the video feed of our last transmission with Momokase, it was faint, but the background appeared to be in a more forested area within the city. And from what we do know from Alistair's intel, the disintegration device has an effective blast radius of three kilometers. Compared to the total 80 square kilometers that the city spans, it's a small area that would be affected. So perhaps I was going about it all wrong… Based on Momokase's psychological profile and the limited range, she would not simply want to maximize her damage or the amount of people she can catch within the device's blast…"

Finishing his sandwich, Hiro simply continued to listen as he allowed her to continue her analysis, "From ODIN's and my analysis, it's reasonable to suspect that we can rule out the disintegration device's presence on the eastern side of the city in its more metropolitan areas. If it's in a more forested area, then it must be somewhere on the western side of San Fransokyo. So, it would be in the more open, residential districts. Where ever she chose, it must have been for a more personal reason…" Abigail now manipulated the map, shifting the view away from the areas that she and Fred had ruled out and now focusing on the western districts of San Fransokyo. Hiro and the team had been dealing with Momokase for some time, he looked at the updated map and tried to think what she was planning. His heart sank as he had a distinctly disturbing intuition of where Momokase was targeting…

Suddenly, ODIN chimed in, "/ Miss Abigail, Hiro… Krei Tech Industries is receiving an incoming transmission from an unidentified, secure source. Unable to trace its origins. Would you like to proceed with the call? /" The team all stopped in place, Abigail and Hiro looked towards each other and nodded. Abigail polarized her helmet. "Proceed, ODIN," Abigail answered promptly. A holographic screen along the wall appeared, Momokase stood in the middle grinning towards the heroes, "Well, I am impressed that you caught Obake's little intrusion in that imbecile's systems. Undoubtedly, you have all been working tirelessly to figure out a way to locate the device. But time is running a bit short and while I am enjoying this game, I think you could all stand to have at least one single hint. I want to enjoy a fight with each of you so a nudge in the right direction might do the trick for our upcoming rendezvous. Would you like to hear it?"

Abigail and Hiro looked to each other, then back at the scheming villain. Hiro answered firmly with frustration, "Fine." Momokase smiled connivingly, "To give you a hint of where I placed the device, let's just say that it is well within range to vaporize the only woman to have ever bested me in a food fight…" Hiro immediately slammed his fist down towards the holographic table, damaging the electronics in the vicinity, "Leave Aunt Cass out of this, you coward! You're definitely not getting away with this! I'll personally see to it that you won't be able to threaten anyone else ever again, Momokase!" The villain simply laughed and whistled in amusement, "Well, well. Such a temper! Seems I struck a nerve, didn't I? It suits you, boy. To ensure I had your unfettered attention, I knew I needed to threaten someone you cared about. Already had your precious girlfriend before, so it looks like I chose the right one for the occasion. And no funny ideas of evacuating her or any others, I'll simply shorten your deadline and I don't think you want that… I expect a good fight out of you yet. See you before midnight, Big Hero 6."

The screen cut out to black as Hiro slammed his hands down on the table, leaning heavily on it as he gritted his teeth, "Aunt Cass…" Everyone motioned to calm the boy, his healthcare companion noted, "/Hiro, your blood pressure is rising rapidly- /" Hiro shot up angrily, quickly donning his helmet and looking towards the robot, "Baymax, suit up! We're heading out, now!" Gogo immediately skated towards the young boy and gripped his shoulders, both firmly but attempting to bring him back to his senses, "Hiro, I understand you're worried. But Momokase wants you to rush in. She's toying with you-" Hiro suddenly jerked and pushed his friend's hands away from him, "Gogo, get out of my way!" But she persisted and pulled him in rapidly to hug the young boy. She knew that he was upset, but more so, he was frustrated out of fear and desperation. She had seen him like this before… when he had desperately wanted to deactivate Baymax's healthcare chip to terminate Professor Callaghan.

As she embraced the young boy, she felt him tremble and attempt to stifle his sniffling. She calmly pushed him away from her and slowly lifted his helmet off of his head. Beyond his messy black hair, his eyes glistened with stifled tears as his gaze was fixed towards the floor. He was incredibly angry, but he was mostly deathly afraid of losing Aunt Cass. He couldn't stand to lose his last family member. Gogo knew this was probably Momokase's strategy, intending to get their young leader to become emotionally compromised. "Gogo… Guys… Aunt Cass is…" he choked up, his eyes pleading for a way to fix the situation right this moment. Gogo continued for him, "…Is going to be safe, so long as we keep our heads focused and follow the plan. We're going to stop that device and Momokase. A lot is at stake, so we can't risk diving in unprepared. We have to do it right."

Abigail came behind the young boy, placing her hand on his shoulder, "Hiro, you've been keeping us all focused in putting together this operation. You are the big brains in charge of this plan, we need you to be fully present and with it. Your team needs their leader." Honey Lemon chimed in, coming in to embrace their young leader heartfully, "We are all worried for Aunt Cass, too. But she's counting on us. She's counting on you, Hiro." Wasabi joined in, "We have more intel now to work off of, we just need to finalize the plan and then execute. But rushing in now would only play into her hands. Alright? So, what's the plan, little man?" Finally, Baymax surrounded the group and embraced all of them, "/ It is important to face challenges alongside friends you trust/"

From the communications system, Fred's voice suddenly rang out, "Umm… guys? Haven't heard from anyone in a while… did something, happen? Getting a bit lonely… I've checked all of my areas, Abby. Nothing, nada! What else should I do, guys?" Hiro chuckled and shortly sniffled, looking to all of his team with gratitude, "Thanks, guys… You're right…. Let's do this the right way." They all released him as he took a deep breath to calm himself and regain composure. He moved over towards the holographic table, "Fred, return to base. Switch out to your ultra-armor, we'll brief you along the way." Fred immediately responded in an attempt at an indistinct accent, most likely a British accent, "Roger that!"

Hiro rested his hands and leaned on the holographic table, closing his eyes as he gathered his thoughts and recomposed himself. He opened his eyes, looking at the portion of the screen that was damaged when he slammed his fist into it. That portion of the hologram was distorted and flickering. He realized how he needed to readjust the plan, "Yes… we'll just have to activate our micro-EMP devices to cover the effective blast radius that intersects with the Lucky Cat Café. Abby, you were right. Her transmissions were always from a forested area…"

Abigail simply nodded, she took the time to manipulate the holographic map to now focus within the appropriate projected range around the Lucky Cat Café and its surrounding districts. She quickly highlighted all of the surrounding forested areas within a three-kilometer distance from the Lucky Cat Café as the targeted epicenter. Hiro continued, "That leaves five potential areas for us to activate our micro-EMP devices and search for the disintegration device." The young boy now pointed towards each highlighted area, "That's going to be: University of San Fransokyo, Golden Gyoen Park, Futatsu Peaks, the Koganei Panhandle and Ueno Vista Park. The SFIT campus within Golden Gyoen Park, too, since that's a lot of ground to cover in the park. Which gives us six locations to focus on."

"Looks like we have to split up and attack each location simultaneously," Gogo noted as she crossed her arms and blew a bubble from her chewing gum. Listening in on their briefing, Freddy chimed in, "Oh! So, then we all just have to call dibs on our spots, right? Well… I got the Mount Tsukuba campus of University of San Fransokyo! I am pretty familiar with the area." The team all wore a curious and weirded-out expression, so Wasabi took the bite, "Um… Okay? But why, Fred? And how do you even know the campus name, let alone know the area?" Fred chuckled through the comms, "Oh, yeah, that's right… Well, I go there!" Gogo snidely remarked with serious curiosity, "You mean to go raid their cafeteria, right?" Freddy laughed, "Their food isn't as good as the Periodic Table Café… but no! I mean, I really go there. You know, to study and all that good stuff. I may be a major 'science enthusiast.' But I actually do major in English, you know." Everyone's mouth dropped, but they just rolled with it. Hiro nodded, "Hmm… didn't know that but… Ok, Fred. University of San Fransokyo is all yours." Fred responded enthusiastically, "Roger-roger!"

"And I'll take the Koganei Panhandle, I drive through there pretty frequently and… Umm… I'm pretty familiar with the area since I have a spot there to meditate. It's a spot where my allergies don't act up and dog walkers don't go, so I don't have to worry about…" Wasabi explained, then caught himself, "Yeah. I'll take that area, though." Hiro laughed and nodded, "Ok, Wasabi has Koganei Panhandle. What about you guys?" Hiro looked towards Honey Lemon and Gogo, who then looked towards each other and nodded as they had both seemed to realize where they would choose. "Gogo and I will work together. I'll take the SFIT campus and its surrounding area," Honey Lemon nodded with determination, as she looked towards Gogo. The yellow-armored heroine continued, "And I'll patrol through the rest of Golden Gyoen Park. It's a lot of ground to cover and I got the speed to match. Plus, I roller-skate there quite often so I will be familiar how to get around." Hiro nodded, relieved that the plan was coming together well.

Abigail stepped forward, "That works out. I'll take Futatsu Peaks. It's a venue that will require a climb and my thrusters will make short work of the altitude up there towards those towers. So… Looks like I'll have the best view out of all of us for tonight. How lucky am I?" She winked, walking towards the desk to retrieve her mico-EMP module and the time-released freezing agent device. The rest of the team was suiting up, taking her example and equipping themselves with their latest inventions. Hiro smiled, "Great! Then Baymax and I will take Ueno Vista Park." Perhaps he didn't have to mention it, the others seemed to already know that he would choose that location. It was the park that was across the street from the Lucky Cat Café, and Hiro wanted to be there to personally ensure that Aunt Cass would be safe. They all nodded, ready for their risky operation to protect Aunt Cass and the many lives within the city. As they all suited up, Hiro looked towards his team. He was grateful that he had them to support him and keep him grounded, he wanted to protect Aunt Cass and the city at all costs. But he knew that he could not do it without their help. He spoke clearly and confidently to them, "Thank you, guys. Be careful out there. Everyone is counting on us. Now, it's really time for us to be super."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note: Hmm… this mini-story is panning out to be a bit longer than expected as I write it out. Adding the rest would make this a very long and exhaustive chapter, I think. So, looks like it's going to be continued in the next chapter! Stay tuned and thanks again for the read!
> 
> Bonus Side Note: It's really fun naming the places of San Fransokyo that have yet to be named in the series or source materials. I happen to have lived in the San Francisco Bay Area all my life and have even spent some time in Japan, including Tokyo. So, mashing up their location names is oddly fun for me. As a reference, the Lucky Cat Café was based off of a Victorian house on Haight St. and Masonic St. in San Francisco. So, the locations I have named and referred to are geographically correct in terms of them being in the vicinity of the setting, so to speak.
> 
> I am of course assuming SFIT is in place of Academy of Science in Golden Gate Park, which I have mashed up with Shinjuku Gyoen National Park (as Golden Gyoen Park). Next to the inspiration of Lucky Cat Café is Buena Vista Park, which I have mashed with Ueno Park (as Ueno Vista Park). To the north is the Panhandle, I mashed that with Koganei Park, which is an urban Tokyo park (as the Koganei Panhandle). University of San Francisco (USF)'s Lone Mountain Campus became University of San Fransokyo Mount Tsukuba campus. And Twin Peaks became Futatsu Peaks, which is just a native Japanese word for two. Perhaps a nerdy detail, but oddly satisfying for me.


End file.
